God uses rules for our welfare
Rev. Rory M. Hermann Good Shepherd Lutheran Church

My wife and I returned recently from a European cruise around Western Europe and through the Mediterranean Sea. Life aboard ship serves as an excellent allegory for life in general.

Within the spatial limits of the cruise ship- bow to stern, side to side, and Dolphin Deck to Sports Deck - passengers are permitted to move about freely. They have a dazzling array of choices for meals, entertainment and idle time. However, there are rules and regulations, both international maritime and of the cruise line that proscribe limits for passenger behavior. Most of these laws insure safety and convenience of the passengers and crew. Of course, these laws are not self-enforcing and if someone wants to violate one, then there is little to prevent him or her.

About halfway through our cruise the ship imposed a strict quarantine. Frequent hand washing had been the practice to avoid the spread of disease among people arriving from all over the world and sharing the same public spaces. However, a mini-epidemic broke out and the ship applied even stricter rules for several days. Opportunities for self-service shrank and personal sanitation became even more important.

The response was predictable; passengers rebelled and complained.

God placed us on "the good ship earth" and gave us great latitude to do what we want. However, he also provided restrictions, not for the purpose of placing clamps on our freedoms but for the welfare of all the passengers. He prescribed ways of relating to him and to each other. These "commandments" actually preserve our freedoms but we crumble and complain about "what we can't do." God could have said, "Tough!" but fortunately He sent his Son to rescue us from our rebelliousness and restore us to himself once again.