56. The Law

Galatians 3:19 Why, then, was the law given? It was given alongside the promise to show people their sins.

The law as it was given to us, has a number of purposes.  One of them is listed here in Galatians.  The law was used, is used, to convict the person of being sinful.  It was also used for guiding people in the way of righteous living.  But one of the purposes was the great leveling that I see within the bible.  You are no better, or worse, than anyone else, it was to show people their sins.

Of course we don’t believe that – that we are all the same.  We create our own hierarchy of sins.  Being greedy is not as bad as being adulterous but is not as bad as being gay which is not as bad as being...well you get the idea.  Generally, we think our sins are not as bad as the other person’s.  The truth is that we suck as seeing our own shortcomings and excel at seeing each other’s.  The sin was to bring your focus back to you.

And check out Proverbs 6:16-19, God does have a few that he detests, and they are interesting to say the least.

So there I am, Marnie my trusty side kick is with me for support.  Sitting at my kitchen table is an expert in the law.  And I get the attraction to theological arguments, but I digress.  I am about to be examined and not in a nice way, by this woman.  And it is not me, but the company, but if you own your own company you understand that there is little difference.

We discuss a number of the company’s policy and procedures.  I want to look at her and say, “The first policy and procedure is that shalt love the funding agency above all else.  The second is like unto the first, thou shalt love the people you send us better than you do.”  I don’t think she would get the reference or the humour.

The purpose of the exercise is to see how the company’s policies and procedures reflect the expected policies and procedures.  It is an inane game of “I’ve got a secret.”  For although I am told that I should develop my own, I can be found wrong on my policy and procedure.  However, I cannot use theirs, as well, um....it wouldn’t be mine.

Then, the next step is to see if I have adhered to my own policy and procedure.  Which is a rather interesting experience.  I want to point out that I am doing well by not spitting my coffee all over my policies and procedures but I think she might not really appreciate my new found maturity. 

The exercise has a number of purposes to it.  I know other agencies, or maybe other directors who would struggle with having this done to their agency.  And it was grueling.  But it was also welcomed.  The exercise could have been seen simply as finding fault.  But for me, it was an opportunity to see where I, the company, was lacking and where I needed to grow.  It was picky, as I imagine the keepers of the law in Jesus’ time had been.  But it was useful.

I have come to understand that there is another aspect to the law and that is corrective.  It helps the person live more righteously.  Its intent is to teach, I think of the idea of faking it til you make it.  The idea of if you act then inner righteousness will come.

Do I think we will be a better agency because we have learned better policies and procedures?  No.  And in many ways we will become less effective.  But in learning policies and procedures we are better able to operate in a certain environment, and to display what is inside our hearts and minds.  In a number of substantial ways policy and procedures safe guards what we value.

It was curious though.  As we ended the session, I was informed that one of the people that we serve seems to present a significant risk to the public.  For me addressing the multitude of competing concerns in this situation was easy.  As I discussed this with the funding agency, the same agency that worries about my company’s policy and procedure, they struggled to come to a strategy.  They were trying to see if there was a policy developed, as well as how other policies applied.

It is telling that in the midst of this, one of the questions asked regarding the situation addressed an ambiguous text from the caregiver to the client a few days previous.  So even in the midst of a significant threat to the safety of the community, someone stopped to find fault.

For it is by grace you have been saved,

through faith and this is not from yourselves,

it is the gift of God not by works,

so that no one can boast.

What shall we say, then? 

Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase?

This is a tricky act we balance – faith – grace – works.  Understand me clearly, I don’t think anyone of us has a better angle on righteousness and salvation than the other.  I struggle with discipline, I always have, I have resisted appearances for appearances sake until my appearance which was aimed at not caring about appearances was created for appearances sake.  So...while my sisters have abstained from watching TV to minimize the impact of commercialism....and my brother thinks that there is a secret sequence of setting the chairs right...I am lucky if I put on underwear and have zipped up my pants.  But if something unexpected happens I would be a good guy to have around.

I am not sure if the policy and procedures thing really works or if it is just the product of an exhausted mind.