From early childhood we are all taught certain basic rules and laws that can keep us safe from harm. They help us to live alongside our neighbors in harmony. For instance, traffic lights that are green or red tell us when to go and when to stop while driving.
In the Bible we also read about laws—spiritual laws that, when obeyed, bring healing and progress to one’s life. A lawyer once asked Christ Jesus, “Master, which is the great commandment in the law?” Jesus responded, “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself” (see Matthew 22:34–39).
It was Jesus’ instruction to love my neighbor as myself that I resolved to obey when I had to spend a substantial amount of money to benefit others, with no assurance I would be paid back. It was discovered that the garden flat below mine had sprung a leak in the bathroom ceiling. The plumber my neighbors called in had taken some photos of the source of the leak, and came to the conclusion that the only way to repair the leaking pipe was from my flat. Naturally, I quickly asked a builder to come and sort this out.
