Law & Life

A reflection based on the readings of 1st September

One word that repeatedly comes in today’s readings is law. Yes, all of us have complicated relationships with law. We love laws in some situations. We hate it on other occasions. God says through Moses in the first reading to Israelites that if they follow the law and commandments, they will live. Law is life giving. Is law truly life giving? You ask an Adivasi girl from a remote location with very few facilities, who got admission to be a doctor only because of reservations. Reservation is a right afforded to her by the Indian constitution. Yes, law is life giving. Not all the laws, but the ultimate purpose of most laws is to give life.
A good question to ask is what is higher — law or justice? I believe it’s justice and the law is an expression of justice. We create laws for the sake of justice. But many times, letters of the law can forget justice. James speaks of the true religion, where justice and love reigns. James says, “to care for orphans and widows in their affliction and to keep oneself unstained by the world.” There is a constant invitation to the law to check, is it life giving still? If it still follows the justice, it will be. If not, it has to be modified and transformed.
We can see the life of Jesus in a similar light. He never abolishes any rules or laws. But he says that the fundamentals of all commandments are the love of God and the love of the neighbour. He constantly reminds them to see all our laws in that light. In one of my favourite scenes in the gospel, Jesus meets this lady who was caught for adultery. She never says what she did was not wrong; but law of mercy is life giving, unlike the law of the rulers, which was to stone her. Mercy underlying law triumphs over all legalities and letters of the law.
Coming to today’s gospel, Is washing hands before meals good or bad? I accept that I have eaten many times without washing, but normally it’s a good habit to wash the hands before eating. Jesus has no doubt about it. But when you try to destroy a person for not following this law, then law becomes truly deaf and dumb and even promoting death. He also reminds them of the greater law, which is to keep their hearts clean, which is a heart of love and mercy. Our actions from that heart become life affirming and life giving.

I have come to give life and life in its fullness (Jn 10:10). This becomes a reality in and through the life giving and life affirming nature of laws and the actions of our heart
We can ponder on these two questions… are the laws life giving? Are the actions originating from my heart life giving?