Rules are not the same as commands. When I was in the army I
was subject to the commands of those above me. Being a Lance-Bombardier, with
one stripe, I was able to give an order to a subordinate, i.e., any private.
There was a chain of command - each soldier being under the rank of one above,
up to the equivalent of today’s Chief of the General Staff, similar to a system
of line managers.
Rules can be broken, but commands by their very nature are
not to be broken. When a command is broken, those in authority and power can
impose penalties or sanctions upon the disobedient. In some cases when rules
are broken, such as ‘School Rules’, those making them have authority to impose
punishments.
We can make up rules as we go along, and change them
according to circumstances or at whim, but we are not in a position to ignore
the laws of the land. As citizens we are bound by them. If we join an organisation, or work for a
company, we accept their rules, and we may be asked to sign up to them.
Obedience to rules and commands is essential for the smooth
working of any group enterprise. It is essential that members all sing from the
same hymn sheet and work together for the common purpose.
Commands must always support rules and be subject to them,
otherwise they are counterproductive. If rules are destructive, the commands
will also be destructive. Rules are therefore best when constructive, and they
are made for the positive good of an organisation or group, even within a
household. Ethical rules are better for the wellbeing of those who are required
to adhere to them.
Those who make rules are often the same as those who command
others to obey them. A big bully or despot has power to make rules and to
command people under his power to obey them. When Saddam Hussein was in power
in Iraq he did many bad things, but there was a degree of law and order. He was
a bully and a despot. Today, because of a lack of strong government and
leadership there is chaos. Isil controls large swathes of land with power to impose
their barbaric rules and exercise their commands upon the inhabitants.
The commands of Jesus are loving and constructive. He never
condones evil. They are summed up by the following verses from the Gospel
According to Matthew: 22:37 ‘You shall love the LORD your God with all
you heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind,’ and 22:39 ‘You shall love your neighbour as yourself.’
Links
Structure of the British Army
Saddam Hussein
Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant
Iraqi Christians Face Death
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