Laws

We were driving to GaoYan’s hometown for the Spring Festival. Just before we turned at a traffic light to get on the highway, a policeman stood in the middle of the road and stopped our car. “Turn over there and pay your traffic fines.” I remember back, being stopped by a policeman in America when I was much younger. My heart was pounding and racing and my hands sweating. This time was all very friendly. The policemen were laughing and joking. Another man was smiling paying his traffic fines. He communicated two words to me in English, “pay money.”

600 yuan! What did I do? It’s not really what I did, but the traffic eyes of Hangzhou have been well developed in the past year. There are radars and cameras at every intersection now. A speeding ticket, four parking tickets, and an unauthorized right turn on red.

Of course, I have a perfectly good explanation for my speeding ticket. We were driving across this long bridge, speed limit 40 mph. Suddenly without warning the speed limit changes to 20 mph at the end of the bridge with radars and cameras. That’s not fair.

We were over the limit so GaoYan had to walk to another office to pay the money. Our Sunny car was all loaded up for the journey, Caleb and Joy sitting in the back seat. I was circling around probably amassing more traffic tickets. Phone call, “Josh, they need you to come sign the paper.” “There’s nowhere to park. How can I come in and sign the paper?” Poor GaoYan had to put all the points on her driver’s license, but they were mostly my mistakes.

Two weeks later driving in downtown Hangzhou. I slowly eased up to a red light centered perfectly in my lane. I was studying the intersection planning my path so I would not get another violation. I noticed policemen had stopped a group of seven or eight pedestrians who had just walked across the road. They were digging in pockets and purses for their ID. Yes, that’s right, walking tickets! The policemen were pointing down the block to the walking overpass. You have to walk up the stairs, across the overpass, down the stairs carrying your heavy bags of vegetables. Walking across the road at this intersection is very dangerous.

Drive perfectly in the center of the white lines, park just right in the box, walk inside the fence. You better do it right or “pay money.” I guess if you have a lot of people you need a lot of laws. As time goes on the new laws keep piling up and they feel such a heavy burden

Amazing the law of the Lord is so old yet revives the soul, makes wise the simple, …

Psalm 19:7-11
The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul.
The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy, making wise the simple.
The precepts of the Lord are right, giving joy to the heart.
The commands of the Lord are radiant, giving light to the eyes.
The fear of the Lord is pure, enduring forever.
The ordinances of the Lord are sure and altogether righteous.
They are more precious than gold, than much pure gold;
They are sweeter than honey, than honey from the comb.
By them is your servant warned; in keeping them there is great reward.


Caleb and Joy delighting in the law of the Lord posted on the walls of a church.