Excused?

I am excused.

I have a note from my wife:

Ginny wrote this excuse note for me back in November of 1984. While she was writing excuse notes for one of the kids’ teachers about missing some school function, she gave me this one to cover any contingency I may face in life.

I treasure my excuse note. It’s comforting to have an excuse ready at hand to use when I need it. It’s been taped to a shelf in my office for years. When I need an excuse, I’m covered.

Yesterday I applied to be excused from jury duty; within minutes, the court excused me so I do not have to serve.

This has been a source of brain-eating anxiety for me since I first got the summons.

In Florida, a person 70 years old or older who wishes is automatically excused from jury duty unless they chose to serve.

At first I looked forward to serving. I have some minor sense of civic responsibility. I’ve voted in every election since I was 21 years old, the legal age back then. I served a stint as president of our neighborhood watch. I planted trees along a public right of way. I trained as part of a civilian emergency rescue team. And I was prepared to act as a juror.

I checked out my one suit, which I haven’t worn since Mark and Eve’s wedding 18 months ago. I’ve grown fatter since then so I bought several shirts large enough for me to button the collar so I can wear a tie. I polished my shoes. I gathered stuff to cut my hair…

Yes, I’ve cut my own hair for decades to avoid being touched by a barber. Due to some quirk in my make up, when touched, especially when I don’t expect it, my body shudders and stops breathing. I avoid being touched.

Even when I go to church I chose to sit beside a big stone pillar with Ginny on the outside so that no “friendly” person can garb at me. God save me from friendly churches! I think that going to church should be like going to a movie—you go in, see the show, and go home without speaking to others who happen to be in the audience.

I do understand that other Christians feel differently about church functions. Good for them. I’m just stating my own preference. I am that shy.

Incidentally I don’t go to movies or football games either because I choke up bad in groups of people.

And the closer the time came for me to report for jury duty, the more tense I became. The thought of being closed in a room elbow to elbow to elbow with other people overwhelmed me.

I thought I might overcome my idiosyncrasy enough to perform my civic duty. I steeled myself to do it. But the prospect overwhelmed me, so yesterday I applied to the court for the automatic senility option on the basis of my tottering old age and the court excused me.

A sense of peace came over me. I felt I’d done the right thing.

Sometimes it’s good not to do a good thing.

I’m glad I was excused.

Funny thing excuses—every time we use one, we unconsciously admit God’s existence as the Giver of moral law. Every time we accuse someone else of something, we admit that same thing.

Listen to school kids in the lunch line:

“Miss Thompson, Miss Thompson, he broke in line”!

“No, I didn’t! I was here first”!

The accuser appeals to a moral law that it is not right to break in line; that people who break in line are law-breakers.

The accuser also appeals to moral law with his excuse—I was here first, so I do not wrong.

Our sense of right and wrong is engrained.

The nations of the world act just like school kids:

“You broke the treaty!”

“Did not. Our people occupied Gaza for generations. We were here first”.

We accuse and excuse because we know that somewhere God’s absolute moral law exists and that it matters whether or not His law is broken.

As saint Paul wrote to the Romans,

There is no respect of persons with God.

For as many as have sinned without law shall also perish without law: and as many as have sinned in the law shall be judged by the law;

For not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified.

For when the Gentiles, which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, these, having not the law, are a law unto themselves: Which shew the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the meanwhile accusing or else excusing one another.

Even before Paul talked about the meaning of accusing and excusing, he’d already concluded we are all without excuse before God:

For the invisible things of Him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:

Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened

No wonder we need Jesus, the only Savior!

So, it may be that the local court excused me

But there will come a day before a Judge when no excuse will hold water.

Not even my note from Ginny.