The Rules Of The Road

I once knew an Englishman who drove up to London and was mystified by the traffic. Drivers were speedier and more assertive than on the rural lanes in his county. He tried to proceed through a round-about amid the London auto melee and was pulled over by a policeman. "What did I do? I'm going the exact speed limit." The officer leaned into the car window and replied: "You're not going fast enough! Speed up for everyone's safety."

The Torah outlines a way to live in gratitude for deliverance by God. It also sets up cultural conditions for life that was the opposite of the dis-spiriting culture of Pharaoh's Egypt from which the Hebrews had been liberated. Harmony and balance come out of God's instructions. Still, attaining perfect Torah holiness was not only impossible but it may also miss the point. It may even enslave people just as much as Pharaoh had. In our texts this week, both Jesus and Paul have something to say about this.

Worship service will be in the chapel this coming Sunday.

The lectionary readings are Psalm 81:1-10; Deuteronomy 5:12-15; Mark 2:23-3:6; 2 Corinthians 4:5-12.