Friday, February 24, 2017

Law And Love



I watched a movie last weekend, Gone Baby Gone, and it had an interesting premise with a nice twist at the end. I can’t write this post without revealing either, so you might want to skip a paragraph or two.

A young girl is taken in the dead of night. Whereabouts unknown. No real leads. The girl's aunt begs a private detective to take the case because he has connections to criminal Boston that the police do not. As the story unfolds, it turns out that the girl’s uncle gave the little girl to a police officer to take care of because the girl’s mother was a crackhead and a dealer. He wanted the little girl to have a future and felt this was the only way she would. He acted out of Love and didn’t follow the Law.

The private detective has a decision to make.

The Law stated that the girl needed to be taken from the policeman and his wife and given back to the girl’s mother. The uncle would be arrested for complicity and the policeman and his wife arrested for kidnapping. This decision, potentially, would cost the little girl a bright and promising future.

Love might be to let the little girl live with the policeman and his wife. Of course, the private detective would have to shut his eyes and live with the fact that the little girl isn’t where she should be, but this decision, potentially, gave a better future to the little girl.

Hmmm . . . Law vs Love.

Tough decision sometimes. Of course, it could and probably should be argued that the most loving thing is to get the little girl back to her mother where “she belongs.” I get that.

As a counselor and now as an administrator, I deal in the world of gray. Nothing is really ever black or white. We do have the Law but sometimes there are circumstances and situations that cause me to think of a better way, another alternative. I’m always reminded by others that “I’m opening up a can of worms” and that “I’m not being consistent” and that “there’s past precedence to consider.” I get that.

But kids are kids and people are people and sometimes . . . most of the time . . . this isn’t a cookie cutter world. Sometimes acting as the “judge” I have to act in the best interest of the child. It isn’t easy and there are times, I admit, that I set myself up as seemingly “unfair” because I’m not treating two similar cases the same way. I get that.

Sometimes it’s just easier to enforce the Law. It’s black and white and there isn’t any gray and I can rest assured that following it, I am being consistent and the Law or code or whatever will be on my side. Not necessarily the most Loving thing to do, but it is following the Law.

Let’s look at another example, a trickier one.

A while back, a couple went to a bakery and ordered a wedding cake. The bakery refused to make one for them because the couple was gay citing their religion as an excuse.

Not knowing exactly what religion we’re talking about, I suppose one can site biblical references and passages that might convince us that the folks who own the bakery are in the right. I guess that’s possible.

But then, we’d have to look at all the biblical references and perhaps enforce the punishment for breaking various Laws that call for plucking eyes out, cutting off hands, flogging and stoning as consequences. Perhaps while we’re at it, if we’re against abortion, we should be against the death penalty, don’t you think? I mean, one life equals one life. The Bible can be confusing that way. In one part, the Old Testament, it calls for “an eye for an eye” whereas in the New Testament, it calls for “turning the other cheek.”

Hmmm . . . Can be confusing, right? Not so black and white, is it?

So, if we’re kicking folks out of our country or if we prevent folks from coming to our country who are fleeing war and death and trying to live in peace and safety, what happens to the biblical references to “Honor thy neighbor as thy brother?”  Or the lesson of the beatitudes (New Testament) dealing with feeding and clothing the poor, and “whatever you do to the least of my brethren you do unto me.” If we enforce one set of rules and one interpretation using biblical reference, then perhaps we need to site them all and use that code and Law to follow. I mean, if we want to be black and white, right?

Or perhaps, we can let Love be the guide.

It’s not ever easy, is it? And, it is something to think about . . .

Live Your Life, and Make A Difference!

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If you like Thriller/Mystery fiction, check out what other readers have said about my novels.
Stolen Lives, Book One of the Lives Trilogy
“Joseph Lewis has created a cast of characters that you grow to care about. Their story is filled with twists and turns that keep you reading. When the book ends you will be left anticipating the next one! This was a story I could not put down!”  “I am really glad I happened to see this Trilogy while looking through my Kindle unlimited series. Great strong characters, especially George and Brett. Looking forward to reading more from this author. Started Taking Lives and immediately turned the pages to get to Stolen Lives.”

Two thirteen year old boys are abducted off a safe suburban street. Kelliher and his team of FBI agents have 24 hours to find them or they’ll end up like all the others- dead! They have no leads, no clues, and nothing to go on. And the possibility exists that one of his team members might be involved. http://bit.ly/Stolen-Lives-JLewis               

Shattered Lives, Book Two of the Lives Trilogy
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Six men escaped and are out for revenge. The boys, recently freed from captivity, are in danger and so are their families, but they don’t know it. The FBI has no clues, no leads, and nothing to go on and because of that, cannot protect them.  http://bit.ly/Shattered-Lives-J-Lewis               

Splintered Lives, Book Three of the Lives Trilogy
“Engaging characters you care about. A story that is fast-paced and holds your attention to the point you cannot put it down. Great finish to a great series.”

A 14 year old boy has a price on his head, but he and his family don’t know it. Their family vacation turns into a trip to hell. Out gunned and outnumbered, can this boy protect his father and brothers? Without knowing who these men are? Or how many there are? Or when they might come for him? http://bit.ly/Splintered-Lives-J-Lewis           

Taking Lives, Prequel to the Lives Trilogy – only .99 cents on Amazon
“Great book by Joseph Lewis. Many twists and turns. Fasted paced.”  “Couldn’t put the book down.”  “Great story can't wait to read the next one!” “Great book! I really enjoyed it. Good author!” “Each character is developed thoroughly, igniting the reader's interest and stirring emotions. The frustration of the detective flows to the reader. The young boys are endearing.”

FBI Agent Pete Kelliher and his partner search for the clues behind the bodies of six boys left in various and remote parts of the country. Even though they don’t know one another, the lives of FBI Kelliher, 11 year old Brett McGovern, and 11 year old George Tokay are separate pieces of a puzzle. The two boys become interwoven with the same thread that Pete Kelliher holds in his hand. The three of them are on a collision course and when that happens, their lives are in jeopardy as each search for a way out. http://bit.ly/Taking-Lives-JLewis

2 comments:

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