Common Grounds - The Law

The law, for all its failings, has a noble goal - to make the little bit of life that people can actually control more just. We can’t end disease or natural disasters, but we can devise rules for our dealings with one another that fairly weigh the rights and needs of everyone, and which, therefore, reflect our best vision of ourselves. – Scott Turow, author of Presumed Innocent and Limitations.



In this chaotic world, it’s nice to think we exert a little control over something. We wait in traffic jams that we can’t escape. World events unfold, yet we are powerless to change history. It feels good to have command, power, might, jurisdiction, mastery, or rule.

Years ago, I lived in Phoenix, Arizona. The streets were lined with nearly identical homes surrounded by tall block fences. The high walls announced, “this is mine and that’s yours.” In the unrelenting summer heat, the fences gave flight to dreams of a backyard oasis. A little piece of heaven with Bermuda Grass and citrus trees, each lot was clearly defined from the next in an attempt to control the desert.

Scott Turow views the law as man’s chance to exert a little control. Through the law we can assert a bit of justice in a sometimes unfair world. “The law is good if one uses it properly.” (1Timothy 1:8)

I like laws and rules. They make for a well-ordered society. Just as my children thrive in an environment with firm boundaries, I prefer to work within predetermined guidelines and easy to follow directions. There’s peace in predictability. There is comfort in knowing what the other car is going to do at the four-way stop sign. The rules and laws work when everyone plays along.

The word law appears 456 times in the NIV Bible. In God’s perfect way He lays out His law for us to follow. “He is a shield for all who take refuge in Him” (2 Samuel 22:31). The psalmists sing of the peace and delight in following Gods law. When “the law of his God is in his heart; none of his steps shall slide” (Psalm 37:31).

In this world it’s easy to be lulled into a false sense of security. Your life is happy and content until you get hit with the inevitable sucker punch of reality. As the insurance company tag line warns us, life comes at you fast. Suddenly, your basement is flooded, or your job is “eliminated”, or your baby won’t stop crying long enough for you to call the doctor. How do you cope when things don’t go your way?

In anger, some people turn from God. They protest that God failed to save them from their misery or protect them from their pain. They ponder why bad things happen to good people. We all know of cases where laws fell short and the innocent suffered. Neither the laws of man nor the laws of God can insulate us from affliction.

Law is imperfect. Control is folly. The Turow quote asserts that “we can’t end disease or natural disasters.” It’s true. We are powerless to stop the fury of a storm or to end disease. The best we can do is have an emergency plan. We can’t control many of the circumstances of our lives, but we can prepare. Practical suggestions abound. Get flu shots. Buy duct tape. Have six months of salary tucked away for a rainy day. Like the Boy Scouts, we must always be prepared.

My children have discovered inline skating. My husband and I insist on basic safety gear: helmets, wrist guards, and knee pads. (If it were up to me, I would cover them in a three-inch thickness of bubble wrap.) I let them go. I hold my breath in case that will help protect them from falling, but I can’t control their success or failure. I can’t guarantee their physical safety.

Let go and let God.

Only our faith can truly insulate us in case of falls. Faith can strengthen us when we are weak. We can set aside our fears and anxieties and “by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present (our) requests to God.” (Philippians 4:6). Through prayer and study of God’s word, we can protect our hearts against the inevitable sorrows of our world. Relying on God’s compassion and love is the only emergency preparedness plan I can trust in 100 percent.

“And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.” (Romans 5:2-5).