Where did all the rules of religion come from? Here’s just a few I’m curious about: no dancing, divorced people aren’t allowed to go through communion, no drinking, and if you eat a hamburger on Friday you are going straight to hell!

Jesus taught differently. He taught mercy and compassion. And he spoke with authority. Jesus gave many of the religious leaders fits because some of them had taken it too far. The synagogue was the epicenter of social interaction, and people feared getting kicked out. So they kept their heads down and complied.

It is my belief that the rules are all about power and control. If you break a rule, your guilty conscience will allow us to manipulate you. There might be a monetary benefit involved. Jesus spoke about giving, too. His version doesn’t involve guilt as a motive.

Rules can be taken too far. This is true in business as well. You will have people walking on eggshells trying not to do something wrong. No one can flourish in that environment.

Jesus told us to love God and love others. Two rules. Not always easy to follow, but good enough for me…