Mtr Mary Trainor

Dear friend,

Does anyone else remember those paper-fasteners from school, the brass ones with the round heads, and two pointed pieces that, when spread, could secure papers together?

My first-grade teacher made a beautiful cardboard barn, held together by these fasteners. She painted the barn—and we thought it was a true masterpiece, a thing of beauty.

Things took a downward turn when I removed one of the fasteners to paint its round head, and adjust its legs to become a ring.

***

Several of our readings for the Daily Office today touch upon the law of God. Since the beginning of creation, I believe human beings have wanted to debate God on the matter of law, twist law into something that better suits our purposes. Manipulate it. Carry it to the extreme. Look for a loophole.

Jesus says all commandments can be simplified into two: Love God, love neighbor. Healing on the sabbath makes the healed person’s life easier, therefore it falls into the “loving the neighbor” category. Thus, it does not violate the commandment about keeping the sabbath holy by avoiding work. Kindness wins.

Loving God. Loving neighbor. Maybe this is the Holy Loophole, the measure by which we can figure right from wrong when the written rule is not clear.

***

Even so, it doesn’t exonerate my five-year-old self. My theft of the single paper-fastener tempted other children to steal as well. Among us, we leveled an artistic masterpiece, and made a teacher cry.

My first-grade classmates and I stole, and we hurt a person we really liked. No loophole. End of story.

Mtr Mary