In our Thursday morning Free Store conversation George Dunn joined us as he normally does. George always brings at least a dozen Krispy Kreme donuts and we have noticed that our friends have started coming early on Thursdays which we think might be related in some strange mystical way to the donuts but we're not certain.
George started the discussion, well we call it a discussion even though George can be a bit preachy but at least he is lively and entertaining and he lets us interrupt him. He told us that he wanted to talk about the ten suggestions which were found in the biblical book of Exodus. This brought a smile to our faces and someone made a reference to the movie Pirates of the Carribean and the Pirate's Code which was actually more like guidelines than a strict code.
This thing about rules and laws comes up quite a bit in our discussions so apparently as a group we must have some issues with authority. But as many of us have discovered these mechanisms of control do as much, if not more, to keep us down as they do to keep us straight. Our friend Marney talked about how it was possible to get so focused on the rules that we could lose sight of what they were all about. So although we understand the necessity of rules and laws we think there is a better way to live, a way that encourages creativity and promotes mature and loving relationships.
So back to the ten suggestions George told us that God gave them through Moses, which is really not that many when you think about it, but that then the lawyers went to work and before long there were way more rules than anyone could possibly keep track of, no less keep them all. George was quick to point out that we like lawyers, especially as our good friend Robert is an attorney and also a supporter of the free store which made us all laugh. Not long after this Robert walked in on our discussion so he must have sensed we were talking about him. He told me later that he likes to join us when he can to feel alive before he goes to work and starts dying.
As our conversation proceeded we started talking about how all rules are subject to personal interpretation. I then told the group how my son Jon apparently has a different interpretation of the word clean than his mother and I do when it comes to cleaning his room. George mentioned how every law, even the divine laws, can be interpreted in different ways and used the example of the fourth commandment and whether it refers to Saturday or Sunday, which religious people have argued about for centuries. On a positive note Marney then told us about how pleased she was that recently she was able to enter into an agreement with her eighteen year old son that she felt was real progress in their relationship.
Sheila told us that she was having a hard time dealing with the death of her husband Dave recently but that she was doing what she had to do. She told us about a friend that had encouraged her "to get off your ass and get to work" and how that had actually helped her which made us smile. She said that she hoped Dave was in heaven and we all encouraged her to keep hoping because if it is true that God is love then there is hope for all of us beyond the cold grave. George encouraged us to read Rob Bell whose name rhymes with "go to hell" but whose message is the opposite of that bad news.
As we wrapped the conversation up George talked about following our own conscience and not imposing our personal rules on others. He talked about some of his vegan friends that are just horrified at his unapologetic carnivorous diet which made us laugh. He encouraged us with the idea that God relates to us as individuals and to give each other the same freedom that has been so generously given to us.
No comments:
Post a Comment