Our small group has been reading through Screwtape Letters. There have been some very interesting points of conviction during the reading. My favorite chapter focused on the art of distraction, the sin of wasting your life doing nothing, neither what you ought nor what you want. Very interesting. This is by far my greatest struggle, and have attempted to live more purposefully, which is not easy. Distractions abound. The tiniest thing can send my mind wandering, I feel like I am no more disciplined than a pet sometimes, always chasing anything that squeaks or is shiny.
One thing the book has done is create an awareness of the spiritual in the everyday, because the everyday is spiritual. Today I caught myself reading through a book “The Year of Living Biblically”. I was in an airport terminal with some time to kill and found myself skimming the book. Questions spawned surrounding what the author of this book had done. He was living out the Old Testament law. Jesus said that not one “jot nor tittle would pass away” from the law that even “whoever transgresses the least of the commandments” was guilty. My mind raced through what I knew of the law, no shaving, no bacon. Okay stop right there NO BACON needs capitalization. Now that is sacrifice, pork is freaking awesome, and bacon is the most freaking awesome of the awesome, its a big train of FREAKING AWESOME AWESOME SWEEETTTTT running you over with every mouth watering bite.
How close to the law are we supposed to live? I realize that the New Testament explains that the law is a condition of the heart, and that the Old Testament law was meant as not only religious law but secular law as well, laws that amounted to common law. How much should we take seriously though? I want to get that book and read it, but here's the thing, should I?
Remember the Screwtape Letters comments? It occurred to me that during this time with so many in need following the hurricane the last thing I needed was a detailed study of Old Testament law, was this another “shiny” meant to distract? I stopped, put the book down. I am not sure whether I should swear off shaving (pretty sure I’m not) but I am sure that Jesus stated the greatest of the commandments was “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, the second is like unto it love your neighbor as yourself”. I will revisit the law questions at some point but right now I am going to focus on others.
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