Beyond the Letter of the Law

It happened last year and will happen again in 2028. St. Patrick’s Day, the 17^th of March, fell on a Friday in Lent. Everyone gets into a party mood, and some people whether or not it’s true will claim to be part Irish. They all just want to eat corned beef and cabbage, and drink green beer. I have nothing against any of these traditions. I will support any initiative that brings people together to celebrate. But I’m sorry. I don’t eat corned beef and cabbage, and I don’t drink beer no matter the color. And without fail I will get asked the question which has been answered many times before, “Will we be permitted to eat meat?” Since I have no personal attachment to things Irish, I will give the approved response, which we already know but ask anyway, “You know it’s a Friday in Lent and Catholics abstain from meat on all Fridays of Lent in solidarity with the poor and as an act of penance.” “But it’s St. Patrick’s Day. Can’t you make an exception?” “I don’t make the rules. Besides, I don’t eat corned beef and cabbage. I don’t even like beer. But the bishop usually grants permission anyway whenever St. Patrick’s Day falls on a Friday in Lent. So you’re clear.” “Great.” “And what will you be doing in place of it?” “What do you mean?” “Giving up meat on Fridays in Lent has a spiritual purpose. Since you’re not observing that penance with the church, what are you doing instead?” Silence. They figure they’ve been given a momentary reprieve. No way anyone would come back looking for pain and suffering voluntarily. Is it perhaps we do not understand the true meaning and purpose of it all?

Every now and then some comedian will dig up old laws and ordinances from all over to poke fun at how absurd, outdated, and naïve people can sometimes be. In Alabama, it is illegal to operate a vehicle blindfolded[1]. In Alaska, it is an offense to push a live moose out of a moving airplane[2]. In San Francisco CA, elephants may not stroll down Market Street unless they are on a leash, and persons classified as “ugly” may not walk down any street[3]. In Florida, one is not allowed to break more than three dishes per day, or chip the edges of more than four cups or saucers[4]. In Gainesville GA, it is illegal to eat chicken with a fork[5]. In Derby KS, it is illegal to hit a vending machine that has stolen your money[6]. In Kentucky, anyone who has been drinking is “sober” until they “cannot hold onto the ground”[7]. In New Hampshire, it is forbidden to move in accompaniment to music in establishments where alcohol is sold[8]. In Ohio, it is illegal to hunt whales on Sunday[9], and in Kansas it is always illegal[10]. In Oregon, it is illegal to swim above water or whistle underwater[11]. In Pennsylvania, it is illegal to sing in the bathtub[12] or sleep outdoors on top of a refrigerator[13]. In Skamania WA it is a crime punishable by a fine of $500-$1000 to harass or harm Sasquatch[14]. In Nicholas County WV, no member of the clergy is allowed to tell jokes or humorous stories from the pulpit during a church service[15].

The laws of any society provide tangible measure of the depth of its people’s values and priorities. Our laws express what we collectively uphold and what we disdain. So the observance or disregard of any law points to a commitment to or a rejection of a society’s value system, of the legislators who crafted the law, and of the spirit that inspired the law. God however was inviting Israel to observe his Law at a much deeper level. And when Israel resolved to do just that, they expressed a reverence for the covenant relationship they shared with God, a deep devotion to the Giver of that Law, and a willingness to abide by the Spirit of the Law. The people and their leaders were familiar with the consequences of this covenant which bound them to God. But the passage of time brought about a proliferation of legal prescriptions from various elders, lawyers, and scribes, intended to further clarify God’s will as revealed to his servant Moses, which then began to be regarded with as much gravity and reverence as the original ten commandments. Eventually, the meaning and spirit of that covenant relationship gradually slid into lip service and a mere external observance.

And Jesus calls our attention to this reality today. He urges us to observe God’s Law by conforming our hearts, our minds, and our wills to God’s own. This covenant relationship with God challenges us beyond external observance. It requires an interior conversion. So when we pray, we don’t just mouth words; we invite God into our hearts and speak to God’s heart. When we give to the poor, we don’t just hand over our surplus; we recognize God’s goodness and share with others what we have received. When we forgive those who offend us, we don’t just withhold our resentment and righteous contempt; we admit our own need for healing and forgiveness, and we beg that God treat us better than we treat one another. The faithful observance of God’s Law challenges us beyond a mere strict compliance to the letter of the law. That kind of observance binds us only to the bare minimum. Jesus invites us to embrace so much more. He challenges us to welcome an interior transformation, that we come to know more intimately the God beyond the Law, that we immerse in God’s mind and spirit, and that we weave God’s own values and priorities into our own thinking and living.

The general election is approaching, and we are invited to re-evaluate once again the values and priorities we want to uphold as a society under God. Do we treat all our neighbors with kindness and compassion, or do we reserve kindness and compassion only to neighbors we approve? Do we reach out to those on the margins, or do we attend solely to our own security and safety? Do we build a respectful, peaceful society, or do we inflame and perpetuate existing animosities? You’d think the answer would be obvious. Then we still need to figure out how we incorporate those values and priorities that Jesus teaches us. Jesus urges us to experience an interior transformation in the observance of God’s law. But we need to know better the Giver of that Law, or we end up paying mere lip service and living like unthinking soulless machines. It is not a bad start. But it is not the fullness of a covenant relationship to which we are called.

You who are parents, you can understand what Jesus means when you attempt to create an environment in your homes with rules and guidelines for your children to observe. When they make their beds and pick up their clothes, when they bring home straight A’s and say thank you and please, when they are kind to their siblings and feed the cat or dog or iguana without complaining, they are fulfilling the letter of the law. It would be even better still if they come to know more deeply your heart and mind, if they begin to grasp your deepest values and willingly bring those values into their way of thinking and living. It is what you most desire deep down. But you will be content with whatever they offer. Now you know what we put God through on a daily basis.

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[1] https://www.beautyofcars.com/blog/the-weirdest-traffic-laws-in-the-us

[2] https://thealaskafrontier.com/weird-laws-in-alaska/

[3] https://www.onelegal.com/blog/weird-california-laws/

[4] https://www.thisoldhouse.com/21018459/laws-you-didn-t-know-you-were-breaking

[5] https://www.appalachianhistory.net/2009/01/crazy-laws-still-on-books.html

[6] https://www.kansan.com/arts_and_culture/ever-wonder-about-some-of-kansas-craziest-laws-heres-11-of-them/article_2e23ac40-896f-11e5-a333-bb92b855af55.html

[7] https://www.onlyinyourstate.com/state-pride/kentucky/these-15-crazy-laws-ky

[8] https://www.bobvila.com/slideshow/the-50-strangest-laws-in-america-51547/#:~:text=In%20Alaska%2C%20moose%20and%20airplanes,to%20avoid%20this%20gentle%20beast!

[9] https://www.clevescene.com/cleveland/10-dumb-laws-that-still-actually-exist-in-ohio/Slideshow/38344961

[10] https://www.kake.com/fun-facts-about-kansas/article_ca28d04d-da6b-51bb-98fc-b5f890da41a1.html#:~:text=This%20state’s%20nicknames%20include%20The,to%20hunt%20whales%20in%20Kansas

[11] https://houstonherald.com/2022/09/weird-laws-around-the-u-s-part-4/#:~:text=People%20aren’t%20allowed%20to,water%20in%20the%20Beaver%20State.&text=It’s%20illegal%20in%20California%20to,to%20set%20a%20speed%20trap%3F