The Law

I’ve been giving a good deal of thought to the notion that we live in a law-abiding society and yet there’s not a big difference between the guys in here and “good, decent people” going about their daily lives.  Almost every day this week the newspaper had a blip about some group here or there wanting to put the Ten Commandments up in classrooms to restore America’s “morality”. 

I have a stack of letters from well meaning people who remind me that I am a law breaker and they are “good” people.  I’ve spent months thinking about our reliance on “the law” to determine who is good versus who is bad. This blog will probably draw its fair share of criticisms but that’s OK.

John Mellencamp was onto something when he sang “I fought the law and the law won”.  The law always wins and we – fragile, broken, sinful human beings that we are, always lose.  I have to smile when I hear people wax self righteously about the Ten Commandments.  I’m no theologian, but I’ve developed a relationship with my Lord, and what I’ve come to realize is God’s law – those Ten Commandments we like quoting so much – are absolutes, and no one can live up to God’s laws.

That’s why Paul kept telling the new churches (and especially the Romans) the law is death.  No one is free of sin.  Each and every day we break God’s law.  Think I’m wrong?  Consider the following “absolutes”:

·         A prohibition on idolatry (remember that the next time you wave your flag or put anything ahead of your relationship with God)

·         Divorce is prohibited (except for adultery)

·         Envy

·         Gossip

·         Working at any activity on the Sabbath

·         Lust

This list is just a few of the things each and every one of us does day in and day out.   And it’s precisely because these God made laws are absolutes that we can’t live up to them.  The “law” always prevails.
And that is what I’ve discovered is so wonderful about God.  He knows we can’t live up to His requirements, but He tells us “I love you anyway”.

I find myself thinking about grace a great deal.  The entire idea that “you were dead in the law but alive in God…” just overwhelms me with a deep sense that with God at least, there are always second, third and even fourth chances.

All the men in here wear the clothes of lawbreakers.  Yet, we’re all lawbreakers, even the “good” people outside.  I think that’s why I’ve drawn so close to my faith recently.  God doesn’t expect us to be perfect.  He just wants us to treat each other with kindness and mercy.  He just wants us to forgive and love.

There’s a wonderfully sweet Eagles song called “Love Will Keep Us Alive”.  It’s a song that brings bittersweet memories for me.  I can’t help but think of a young girl I fell in love with as a young boy and how much I miss that girl, that feeling of love.  But as I recently read the lyrics, I couldn’t help but think there’s more to it.

“Don’t you worry

Sometimes you’ve just gotta let it ride
The world is changing
Right before your eyes
Now I’ve found you
There’s no more emptiness inside
When we’re hungry love will keep us alive

I would die for you

Climb the highest mountain
Baby, there’s nothing I wouldn’t do.”

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, the Beatles were right:  all you need is love.  Love, God is telling us, overcomes a myriad of our sins.  Love overcomes the law.

Every day people are convicted of breaking the law.  Some, like me violate the criminal code of Virginia.  Others live outside a state of righteousness.  But, I’ve come to realize, the law may punish and people may refuse to forgive, but God forgives, God shows mercy, God loves.

Perhaps, just perhaps, God’s trying to tell us something about our reliance on the law.