Unspoken Rules I Will Tell You About

Society has many unspoken rules. Things that we are just supposed to learn to deal with. The thing is, no one ever tells you what they are, they are just rules that society has just made up. They are really evident in junior high and high school. Geeks don't sit or talk to jocks. Nerds don't date cheerleaders, 'cause cheerleaders only date jocks. Rich kids don't hang out with poor kids. Band people are just weird, so stay away from them. The list goes on and on. The reality is, there are unspoken rules society has created that show differences between people and tell us we can't love those different than us.

There have been many books and movies written about facing and breaking these rules because of love for fellow human beings. The Adventures of Huckleberry Fin is about a young teen who has a friendship with a slave which was taboo. Huck runs away with the slave in an attempt to set him free. The movie Mean Girls is about destroying social barriers, overcoming the snobby mean rich girls, and encouraging everyone to get along.

I think one of the best stories written (or spoken about) on the subject of breaking society's rules is that of "The Good Smaritan" as told by Jesus. He frequently broke the rules society has because they don't line up with God's Laws or what He is doing. He constantly challenged people to set aside the rules society has and follow God's rules. The parable of the "Good Smaritan" is a great illustration showing what it means to "...love our neighbor..." and explaining who our neighbor is. All Jr. High students are encouraged to join us tomorrow night as we look at Jesus' attitude towards society's rules, how He responds and what we can do about it. I want to encourage you to read the "Parable of the Good Smaritan" before you come to Crash. It's found in Luke 10:25-37.