Alexander Pope, a prominent British poet of the 18th Century, penned these oft-quoted words: “Order is heaven’s first law.” (from An Essay on Man) Pope and many others of his day, believed we lived in a highly ordered and structured universe created by God “Himself.” They felt this “divine order” should serve as the guiding principle for our intellectual, spiritual, and physical lives. They said, “Just look at how all the planets circle the sun in an orderly way and how the four seasons follow one another in order…. And what are the 10 Commandments if not a list of ten ways to maintain order among disorderly human beings?”

But did Jesus teach the primacy of order? Did he himself live a highly ordered life? To answer those questions, let’s look at the gospels.

Jesus’ life did not begin in a very orderly way. His very coming caused considerable “disorder.” It began with a young woman saying “yes” to God’s extra-ordinary request. Jesus’ life continued in Mary’s womb because of Joseph’s decision to marry Mary and raise her child as his own. Then we have the disruptive trip to Bethlehem, Jesus’ birth in a stable, the flight into Egypt, and, at age 12, Jesus is lost in the city of Jerusalem. It seems to me, Jesus’ early life is marked by considerable disorder.

And once Jesus begins his public ministry, the Gospels show him coming and going, and going and coming, often in a seemingly haphazard way. He has a very flexible schedule, allowing all kinds of people to come to him at will: ten lepers begging for a cure, a blind man who keeps shouting to get his attention, the Scribes and Pharisees who are always trying to trick him, and Nicodemus who comes at night. Notice Jesus didn’t say to him, “Nick, come during regular office hours!”

Jesus often acts spontaneously. He seems comfortable with interruptions. For example, Jairus interrupts him with an urgent request, “My little girl is dying. Please come!” Jesus drops everything and goes with Jairus. But on his way to Jairus’ house, there’s another interruption. A poor woman who has been hemorrhaging for12 years, secretly touches his cloak and is instantly cured. Then Jesus wastes time to stop and talk with her, praising her for her great faith.

The apostles on the other hand, are concerned about order. They argue among themselves who is the “greatest,” that is, who is at the top of their “pecking order.” And they are always trying to establish more order in Jesus’ ministry. They try to shoo away the little children. (Children and strict order seldom coexist!) They are shocked to see Jesus conversing at a well with a Samaritan woman. In their view of the proper social order, this woman has two strikes against her: Samaritan and woman! And later, when Jesus talks of his passion and death (the dissolution of all order!), his disciples try to talk him out of it.

On several occasions Jesus speaks out against allowing order to usurp the place of other more important values–most notably love. He openly cures (does loving work) on the Sabbath. He allows lepers to approach him. He praises “enemies” like the Roman centurion, and he makes a Samaritan a hero in one of his parables. He speaks kindly and gently to a “lady of the night.” He lamblasts the Pharisees for their idolization of order, shown by their rigid adherence to religious rituals and laws. Finally, Jesus becomes a victim of order. He is put to death primarily because he is considered a threat to the established order–both political and ecclesiastic.

Yet order is important. I would never be able to write a weekly blog if I didn’t have some level of order in my life! But extreme order can be a tool of the Evil Spirit. I remember my scripture professor warning us, “All the trains ran on time in ancient Egypt.” He was describing the extreme order in Egypt, where everyone, including the Hebrew slave population, knew “their place” in a strict social order maintained by fear, intimidation, brutality, and death. Closer to our time, is 20th Century Nazi Germany which, in 1945, had 23 main concentration camps with over 1,000 “satellite camps” and forced-labor facilities all over Germany and its conquered territories. This “vast sprawling system of imprisonment and extermination” is a horrific example of order gone diabolically wrong.

Conclusion:

What does this have to do with us and our spiritual lives? First, order definitely has a place in our lives–including our spiritual lives. We need structures to insure time for vital values such as prayer, worship, family, friends, work, service, and rest and leisure. But in the name of good order, we must never sacrifice more important values like compassion, respect, justice, freedom, and joy. For, through both word and example, Jesus shows respect for order. He was basically a good Jew, an observer of the law and ritual. At the same time, he makes it very clear: heaven and earth’s first law is not order, it is love. Always love. Above all love.

For reflection:

On a scale of 1 to 10, 1 meaning “very little order” and 10 meaning “very much order,” how would you describe your current life in general?

Jot down 3-5 priorities in your life. Then reflect on how much time and “funds” you devote to these priorities. Any conclusions?

How comfortable are you with interruptions? Have you ever had a major interruption in your “ordered life” that turned out to be “a blessing in disguise”?

P.S: To Lauren S-C … You emailed Sister Maresa last week about one of her paintings. She tried to respond to you but the email bounced back. Please email her again. She’s eager to respond to your request.

I felt I had to choose for today’s video, the ancient song, “Ubi Caritas, Deus ibi est.” (“Where there is love, there is God.”) The only question I had, which version to choose? Here is a beautiful choral version by Dan Forrest. The moving water in the background enhances the meditative mood of this simple prayer.

I encourage you to jot down a comment below. We all love hearing from our readers.