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Topic: Breaking the Rules (08/16/04)
TITLE: God's rules, or man's By Henry Swart 08/20/04 |
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The thought of breaking the rules evokes different emotions in different people. Some rebellious souls feel it’s a positive thing – to be commended; some conservatives feel it’s extremely negative – to be condemned. I fell into the latter category, which presented a problem, since I – a white man – had just fallen in love with a black woman in a very racist South Africa. This, I knew, was strictly against the rules of my society – and against the rules of God, or so I was told by my grandmother.
“Blood-mixing,” she said, glaring at me over her thick-frame spectacles, “it’s blood-mixing and the Bible condemns it.”
“Are you sure, Grandma?” I asked, not at all convinced of this doctrine that was preached so passionately from many pulpits in this beautiful country.
“Yes,” she bellowed, “of course I’m sure. Why do you think God forbade the children of Israel to marry Gentiles?”
“Isn’t that because the Gentiles didn’t believe in God and would have led the children of Israel into idolatry?” I asked.
“Yes,” she replied, “that’s another good reason.”
“But Rochelle isn’t an unbeliever, Grandma, she’s also a Christian.”
Grandma looked taken aback, but only for an instant. “Even so,” she said, trying to regain her momentum, “you’re breaking the rules.”
“Whose rules, Grandma?”
“God’s rules, of course! And besides,” she continued, “what about the children? Where will they fit in? They won’t be black or white.”
“Don’t worry about the children, Grandma, they won’t look like Fox terriers – they won’t have black and white patches. They’ll be a nice caramel brown – coffee with a touch of cream.” I smiled, enjoying my little joke.
“Don’t mock me, young man!” Grandma said. “It’s wrong and that’s final. They have different blood, which should not be mixed with ours.”
Grandma’s insistence created doubts in my mind, and along with my conservative nature and desire to conform, caused me to question my relationship with Rochelle. Was Grandma right? What if I was breaking the rules – not only man’s, but God’s?
I spent the evening praying and studying God’s Word, but only received my answer the next morning at 02:00, after which I made my decision and went to sleep.
The next morning at breakfast my father read from the Bible, as was his custom, and prayed for the food. I had hardly taken the first bite when Grandma declared confidently, “Yesterday I explained to Henry that blood-mixing is wrong and he’s going to break off his relationship with Rochelle, aren’t you, Henry?”
“No, I’m not,” I replied as I reached for Father’s Bible.
“What do you mean, you’re not?” Grandma asked, “I thought I’d explained to you that it’s wrong.”
I opened the Bible and read: “Acts 17:26 says, ‘And He has made from one blood every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth…’”
There was silence around the breakfast table; everyone stared at me.
I closed the Bible and said, “There are no different bloods; according to God there is only one blood, which means the doctrine of blood-mixing is irrelevant. I’m not breaking God’s rules, I’m only breaking man’s rules, and that just fine with me.”
Rochelle and I have been happily married for more that three years now.