It has always been my dream to become a Lawyer. Well, not
really, when my pre-primary teacher asked me what I would be when I grew up, I
probably said a teacher. That was because the most loaded person I knew in my village was a teacher (I still think I
would enjoy teaching).Or I might have said a pilot. I loved the skies, I still
do, not that I had flown by then, but given how elated we would get whenever
there was a plane flying over our heads, I guessed whoever was flying that thing must be having a lot of fun. You see at that age, the only
ingredient I was looking for in a career was how much fun I could have. Anyway, I really don’t remember
what I told my nursery school teacher.
Later, I discovered I really enjoyed controversy. Each
time I had a conversation and someone took a certain view on an issue I would
automatically assume a different view just for argument sake. I would really
defend whatever position I momentarily held. This would sometimes really piss off my siblings, probably because
most times, they knew what I really stood for (I am grown now, I don't engage in fruitless arguments,I choose my battles). In class I really fancied English, sarcasm and I specially enjoyed mooting. And there it hit me; a career in law was my calling.
So there I began my journey. I still remember one of my
first classes; One Mr. Oduor asked us, “What is law?” “I pretty elementary
question that is” I thought. I had always thought of Law as being a bunch of
rules and regulations which if one disobeyed there were consequences. The law
stated both the rule and the consequence. And there I raised my hand, and as
eloquently and confidently as I could, enunciated the above words. Mr. Oduor
gave me that encouraging look, “I forgive you, you are a First Year.”
Subsequently, I learnt that the definition of law is so broad
that even the greatest law scholars do not really agree on an universal
definition of law. In fact one, Thurman
Arnold didn't think the law can ever be defined. But my most interesting guy is W.H Auden, he
says “Law says the judge, as he looks
down his nose, speaking clearly and most severely, Law is as I've told you
before, Law is as you know I suppose, law is but let me explain it once more,
Law is The Law”
Deep, I know right?
Okey, Okey, I will let you know where I am going with this.
One of my great professors at Law School taught as that, if we were to make
successful lawyers, we also needed to inter
alia indulge in reading the Bible. I remember reading this verse
twice, once in Jeremiah and again in Hebrews. And God said “I will put my laws in their minds and write it on their hearts. I will be their
God and they will be my people.”
Prior to joining Law school my scrape with this verse was my
starved definition of what law is. My understanding of these two verses was
that, God being a Superior Being would write a bunch of rules and regulations
accompanied by consequences of non compliance with the ultimate punishment
being a penalty of death or life imprisonment in Hell or both. And that every time we obeyed him, we made him really
happy.
Later, as I spent more years at Law School studying the
various fields of law. My understanding of what law is, really broadened. I cannot claim to define law. Law touches on
every field imaginable. Environment, business, property ownership, personal
life such as family,marriage et cetera. The law also carries
several components; systems of social norms on which laws are based, a group
empowered to enforce the laws, a legitimate system of enforcement,a system
of interpreting the law and so on.
Therefore when God said, “I will put my laws in their
minds and write it on their hearts…”we have to look at this law
holistically. See, the law is a set of rules and regulations true, but that is
only one component of it, the law bares rights and obligations we owe to other
people, animals, our environment etc. The law provides for fundamental rights and freedoms
we are entitled to, and the law also provides rights and obligations owed to us
by other people, institutions, government etc.
In the same view, when God conveys that, he will put His
Laws in our minds and write them in our hearts, He not only daily reminds us that in his
Kingdom, there are rules and that sin( disobedience) has consequences, but also
that we have an obligation towards other people and the environment. We are entitled to certain Fundamental Rights and Freedoms. This Law provides
for the rights and obligations owed to us by God himself. In psalms, God
promises to protect us, in Isaiah, God promises to heal us, in John 3:16 he
promises to LOVE us. He makes loads of promises to us through Abraham our
forefather.
Assuming that the Kingdom of God is a society in which God
is the king and we are the citizens, an except of Chapter Four of our Constitution would
be probably read something like this:
The Bill of Rights applies to all law and
binds all State organs and all persons.
Every person shall enjoy the rights
and fundamental freedoms in the Bill of Rights to the greatest extent
consistent with the nature of the right or fundamental freedom
God and all citizens have the duty
to address the needs of vulnerable groups within society, including orphans,
children, widows, older members of society
a) Every person has the right to life.
b) The life of a person begins before
conception (God declares that, He knew us before we were born)
c) Every person is equal before God and
has a right to equal protection and benefit of the law.
d) Every person has a right to be loved
by God,
e) Every person has a right to a new
beginning.
f) Every person has a right to own
property, self actualization and security.
g) Every person has the right to health.
h) A person shall not be held in slavery
or servitude (no satanic, sijui witchcraft bondages)
i) Every person has a right to access
information (access to God) and correction
or deletion of untrue or misleading information that affects the person
(remember the prayer of Jabez?)
j) A right or fundamental freedom in the
Bill of Rights shall not be limited except by law, and then only to the extent
that the limitation is reasonable and justifiable before God and based on
His Love towards us, human dignity, equality and freedom.
I am
sure you get the drift by now. In putting the laws in our minds and writing
them in our hearts. God then affirms his commitment to love us,to chasten us, to keep the promises He has made to us. On the other hand we have certain obligations towards ourselves, each other, our environment and God. Next time we are tempted to think
getting saved is engaging in a life of rules and regulations, I pray that this Article
shall remind us of what a life we have in Him. Let's think about it this way, His law, is in our best interest.
So, after
Law school, I can confidently tell you that, “Law is as I've told you before, Law is as you know I suppose, law is
but let me explain it once more, Law is The Law.”
