The Freedom of Limits

Bill Brown ... Xiamen University
"Where there is no revelation, the people cast off restraint, but blessed is he who keeps the law." Prov. 29:18

"Christianity only added the seeds of decadence such as forgiveness...and the very denial of the evolutionary laws of survival of the fittest..." Hitler

I've only received a couple traffic tickets in the U.S. over my decades of driving, but I've received dozens in Xiamen, which is ironic because I drive much more carefully than the Chinese Darwinian Drivers for whom traffic really is the "survival of the fastest". But the Chinese Darwinian Drivers receive far fewer tickets because they know the rules (and the speed traps). They'll drive 90-to-nothing and then slam on the brakes and crawl--while pointing to the overhead cameras.

I usually obey the speed limit anyway, but when I receive a "revelation" (from "on high" or "on low") that the road ahead is teeming with cops and cameras, I slow down even further, in spite of ridiculous limits like the 15 m.p.h. highway exits. But I still get tickets now and then for not reading the "fine print."

The Fine Print. Just about every Chinese city has signs with small characters explaining local rules such as--I kid you not!--different speeds for different types of vehicles, on certain days, during certain hours, on odd and even days. And some places don't even use signs. I was ticketed once in Xiamen for disobeying a law that was not posted. The policeman said, "No excuse. It was posted in Xiamen Daily 18 months ago. I pity a driver from out of town who did not read the Xiamen newspaper (and did not have a very good memory of all he read).

But in spite of the ridiculous laws, I'm glad we have them, because if driving is bad with limits, it would truly be hell-on-wheels if there were no laws at all. And complaints and jests aside, driving is getting much better in China; though maybe it's just because the bad drivers are killing each other off? (I wrote in China Daily a few years back that all Chinese license plates should end in "007" because Chinese drivers are all licensed to kill).

The Law of Life Even as we need rules of the road, we need rules in life--not to limit us but to help keep us on the path (and to help us from running over the pedestrians). The Jews had laws, but like Chinese traffic police, they multiplied laws until they were not a benefit but a burden. Jesus' greatest anger was directed at the hypocritical law-makers, of whom he said, "They tie up heavy loads and put them on men's shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to lift a finger to move them." Matthew 23:4

Jesus knew we needed law, but he revealed a new law, a simpler law, that covered every contingency: "Love your God with all your heart, and your neighbor as yourself." Such a law does not limit us but frees us; it does not burden us down but lifts us up. No wonder Jesus said, "For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." Matthew 11:30

No Law? No Restraint! For horrifying proof of the proverb that "without revelation, there is no restraint," turn to the writings of Hitler, who used Darwin to justify his slaughter of millions. Hitler wrote:

"Christianity only added the seeds of decadence such as forgiveness, self-abnegation, weakness, false humility, and the very denial of the evolutionary laws of survival of the fittest, the most courageous and talented."

Millions sought freedom in Hitler's call to throw off restraint. They were rewarded not with freedom but bondage and death.

In an hour I must drive across Xiamen, so I"m thankful I know a bit about Chinese traffic laws and Darwinian Driving. But as I hit the day, I'm also thankful that I not only know the rules of the road but also the laws of life, and Jesus has made it a simple law: "Love God, and love others as myself." Such a law is not a burden but a blessing. It does not restrict me but frees me to accomplish all our Father expects of me, but without stepping on others to do it.

And once we know our limits, there are no limits.
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