The Law as Love



The LORD is my portion;
I promise to keep your words.
I implore your favor with all my heart;
be gracious to me according to your promise.
When I think of your ways,
I turn my feet to your decrees;
I hurry and do not delay
to keep your commandments.
Though the cords of the wicked ensnare me,
I do not forget your law.
At midnight I rise to praise you,
because of your righteous ordinances.
I am a companion of all who fear you,
of those who keep your precepts.
The earth, O LORD, is full of your steadfast love;
teach me your statutes. ~ Psalm 119:57-64
I think dystopian futures are also a reflection of current fears. ~ Lauren Oliver, YA author 

I am a big fan of television.  Back in the day, when reruns of "I Love Lucy," "Gilligan's Island," and the "Dick van Dyke" show (RIP Carl Reiner!) were on in the afternoon, I'd plop myself in front of the TV after school and watch them as if they were brand new, happy, shiny things meant simply for my enjoyment. 

So it's been increasingly sad for me to notice how depressingly nihilistic much of TV has become.  I can't lie and say I haven't watched or even enjoyed some of the post-modern dramas on TV, but I am starting to feel the weight of them.  They are beginning to be overwhelming.  And sadly I think the world they paint is a world I think a lot of people are believing in. And quite honestly, I suppose, also seeing. It's hard to read the news without a sense of dread and worry these days.

Yet everything I know shouts at me that the earth IS full of God's steadfast love.  I see it all the time. Even now. Even in the midst of pandemic, racial tensions, and a polarizing political scene.

People bringing meals to those who shouldn't be leaving their homes.  People bringing donating food to food banks.  Medical professionals and scientists working overtime to give hope of life.

 Parents learning new ways of teaching their children. Churches learning new ways to be church. Restaurants serving the communities where they exist.

 God's steadfast love is in the law as well.

 People standing up for the rights in the law of their neighbor. People following rules of social distancing and wearing masks to protect the vulnerable.

God's steadfast love is everywhere regardless of how it seems to be portrayed in film, TV, and the news.

When you see the law as something that was given to keep us together, to build relationship, to foster community, then suddenly you don't see the law as something to box us in, but instead as freedom to love as deeply and profoundly as God loves us.  The law keeps us "companions" on the journey and show us what life can richly offer when we jump into relationship and share this life together in love.

God of law and grace, write your will on my heart so that I can see your steadfast love everywhere and always, regardless of how the world is portrayed.  Help me to proclaim that love from the top of my lungs and with the depth of my being.  Amen.


Thoughts for engagement:

- What are some ways you see the law showing love these days?
- What are some of the reasons people watch dystopian shows?
- Can you find other examples in scripture where the Law = God's Love? 

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