Is lawlessness a good thing? Most of us would say no.
But in 1968 the film “Wild in the Streets” was released to wild acclaim—among teenagers. Adults? Not so much. The plot: The voting age lowered to 14, drug use legalized, and 20-year-old rock star Max Frost elected President. What could go wrong?
Teens: great soundtrack! Adults: chaos!
For most of us, orderly is the way. We like order. We especially like law and order. Just to be certain, many of us seek out highly-structured environments within which to live and move and have our being. It's just a lot more comfortable that way. Most of us live in communities with schools, traffic signals, local governments and stop signs, with fire, rescue, and law enforcement on call. We feel safer knowing the law is there to protect us from all manner of things that might do us harm. And most of us have no desire to live without this structure and protection.
With statements like “the law brings wrath“ and “where there is no law there is no transgression,” this week’s Romans selection can leave us a bit unnerved. If you read the passage and find assurance that our faith is what connects us to God, excellent. It’s what we're supposed to get from it. But many of us can't get past the "no law” part. That sounds a bit like anarchy; maybe a lot like anarchy. We may not actually say anything about it, but deep down we don't really accept it.
We're not alone in this concern. The first-century Jewish people reading the letter to the Romans were struggling with just how much of their old life (and their old religion) they should bring forward into this new way. Like them, we keep adding law layers to our lives, even the parts of our lives that we allocate to a relationship with God.
Letting go of the law does not have to lead us to anarchy, in life or in our relationship with God and His people. Lawlessness is a good thing in the spiritual sense—as long as we remember to grab hold of faith as we release our grip on the law. With faith, there is no need for the law. The law can actually get in our way of living by faith.
Yes, it's a little scary. But take a deep breath—and let it go.
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GRAPHIC (the anarchy symbol from a brief article in the Encyclopedia Britannica):
https://www.britannica.com/topic/anarchism
Max Frost and the Troopers herald revolution and anarchy in The Shape of Things to Come from the movie “Wild in the Streets”:
Roger Ebert reviews “Wild in the Streets”:
https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/wild-in-the-streets-1968
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Can you be with us Friday morning for DaySpring’s Lectionary Breakfast? We're learning to do good as we peruse God's word, discuss it among ourselves, and continue replacing bad habits with good ones. Join us at 8:00 on Zoom** or at Our Breakfast Place for food, fellowship, and fun—all squeezed into an hour like no other.
Blessings,
Steve
**Contact me for the Zoom link
NOTE: Zoom allows you to mute the camera and the microphone if you don’t wish to be seen or heard.
SCRIPTURES FOR SUNDAY AND THE COMING WEEK
Find them here:
https://lectionary.library.vanderbilt.edu/texts.php?id=145
Print them here:
https://lectionary.library.vanderbilt.edu/pdf//Ax_Proper5.pdf
Genesis 12:1-9
Psalm 33:1-12
Hosea 5:15-6:6
Psalm 50:7-15
Romans 4:13-25
Matthew 9:9-13, 18-26
Proper 5 (10) Second Sunday After Pentecost (June 11, 2023)
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