The Social Contract
The other day I had to go out to our church’s dog park to talk to a dog owner. It was the second time in a week. She is nice enough, but she has three tiny dogs which are small in stature but gigantic in attitude. She lets them run in the big dog side of the park. The problem is that a neighbor walked past with her dog and these three took off after it. They are small enough that they can just go under the service gate where we bring in the lawn mower. The neighbor woman had to pick up her dog and fend them off. They didn’t bite, but they act like they will.
I asked the woman with the three that she keep them in the small dog area so they can be kept under control. She said she would. Yesterday I looked out. Same situation. They were in the big park again, despite my instruction to the contrary, and the neighbor was walking her dog past. The little dogs were going nuts and their owner struggled to keep them from escaping again. When I went out she said “Oh, but they just begged me to let them in the big area!”
In every situation in which two or more people interact there is a social contract. It is the understood expected behavior of people with each other so that everyone can get along. Sometimes it is written out and signed, as with a business deal. Sometimes it is just a societal norm that you should be raised to understand how you are supposed to behave. Most of the time it is a mixture of the two. Basic rules are written and with a mixture of common courtesy, we get along.
When this doesn’t happen, there are consequences. In a business you can get sued. In an organization you can get expelled. In society you can get arrested. This exists in every single situation in which people interact. Here is the kicker; just because you really want to do something against the social contract doesn’t make it OK. Other people will only tolerate you breaking the rules so much and for so long. Then there will be problems. Unfortunately, many people want to act like they are being mistreated when they have consequences for continually breaking the social contract.
Our relationship with God is no different. There is a social contract. In the Old Testament God repeatedly made covenants with individuals and groups. And they continually broke those covenants. Then they acted like it was God’s fault when they faced the consequences. In the New Testament era we also have a covenant with God. And we continually break that covenant. It’s called sin. The beautiful thing is that God knows that we will and He is prepared to accept us back even though we don’t deserve it. What we have to do, however, is acknowledge that it was we who were in the wrong and ask forgiveness and then attempt to keep it again. He promises that He will always be there when we do. But we cannot just say “But I want to go in the big dog park even though I’m not supposed to.” and think that this makes it OK.