On Friday: We went to sleep with cool air in our house and woke up with the AC out. So I spent all Friday slow cooking and getting bids for a new unit…

On Saturday: We were baked (tempers raised with the temperature) so we headed off to my brother’s house. Sometime in all the travel between here and there and church, I lost my wallet…

On Sunday: Our church softball team lost a walk-off game. Earlier in the game I slid into third – a foolish move, but how bad could it be? – and shaved the skin right off my shin. Of course I was still tagged out…

On Monday: The AC company was set to install! They called before arriving – only the price had changed. $186 more. He admitted the sales guy made a mistake, so he would meet me halfway. I wanted to tell him where to stick it, but the stick might have combusted – our house was high 90s…

The weekend felt a bit like Alexander‘s Day. Between heat rage and leg burn, I was fuming. And frankly ready to head to Australia – it is winter there. But I wasn’t steamed about the wallet (even as I cancel cards, I still have hope), or the leg (though I lament being an idiot), or even the AC Unit’s failure (would rather not spend thousands, but it was original to the house). No, I was boiling because of the $93 of a broken agreement.

People talk about sin as though it is a list. Do not do this or that, occasionally breaking out the old English, “Thou shalt not”. Sometimes the list is limited to ten, but often it is much longer. Or maybe they try to keep it positive, by listing the things we are called to do. Generally whoever is listing will highlight certain things over others – whatever they personally value.

But sin isn’t a list. The lists were created to help us understand sin – but frankly they grew out of control. Our purpose was never obeying a list. Instead, we were created to live out the calling of the creator. To sin is to refuse God’s calling.

On a Friday^{1 😉} God created humans and called them to name creation. To name creation invites the same responsibility as when we name our children – to love, care, protect. Yet rather than accept this agreement humans choose to love, care, and protect themselves. And all of creation began to break down. Even now creation cries our for salvation, because each of us continue to choose ourselves. We continue to break the agreement…

But how did God react to the broken agreement? Of course He stated the wrong – but He did not hold onto grievance. Instead, God chose to love. To love radically. Simply put, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”

This example – the Creator’s example – is how Jesus is able to state that “all the laws and the prophets” hang on one simple act – love. To love God, to love others.

And I am left wondering how will I respond to broken agreements… Australia is still tempting… but Love is calling.

¹ This is a joke. Humans were created on Day 6. Jewish Sabbath is Saturday and God rested on Day 7. So Day 6 is Friday. Of course, this is not to say the days of creation are literal 24 hour days. They could be, as Peter suggests, a thousand years. Or More. Or Less. Whatever the Creator of time desired. I used Friday – just because that is when my struggles started. (Though as I ponder – the days offer an interesting comparison to Christ. Good Friday – he completes his work and answers for the creation of man. On Saturday he rests. On Sunday, a new week begins, as does new creation…)