The rules of football are really quite simple. I don't know them, but they cannot hope to compare with the rules of Rugby Union or American Football. Of course Australian Rules Football is a misnomer for it seems to be a game sans rules. The only real rule is to thug the opposition, but in the midst of such hairy chested, bararian-looking, testosteronic madness, is the contradiction of an almost effeminate line judge, who goes to such trouble to ritualise his line calls.
Soccer's rules have always been simple, for that is the nature of the game. In a nutshell its: no handballing, no foul play, score through the goal post and of course there is also an offside rule. Foul play is a subjective thing, ruled by the whim of the referee, but basically guided by the principle of playing the man, not the ball.
It got me thinking about life. Is it that complicated? Oh we have layered in our rules, more than enough to fill whole libraries. In fact we are now so rule bound that just reading this blog may be illegal. However, the essence of life is simple, enough for Jesus to have captured every law, every precept of life in two simple principles - Love God and love your neighbour.
However you look at life, if you follow those two rules you will fulfil all the laws of life. Jesus confirmed that saying, "these sum up the whole law". We inroduce laws because of behaviours that are harmful to others, but if we all instinctively did the right thing, guided by a love of righteousness and truth, to behave deferentially, considerately or compassionately towards our neighbour, why would laws be needed. Of course I know that society in general can never live up to such ideals, but you can.
Sometimes I wish we could carry yellow and red cards into the traffic and the workplace, to send errant individuals out of the game of life until they can sort themselves out ... how that might simplify life if there was a simple way to rule when we play offside or inappropriately.
(c) Peter Eleazar @ www.4u2live.net
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