Camping isn’t for everyone, but everyone can learn something from it. Whether it’s pitching a tent in some wilderness area or parking an RV at a convenient campground, there are certain unwritten rules. One such rule is to avoid walking through the campsite of others. Another rule is to lower the noise after dark. And, of course, don’t steal someone else’s firewood. A rule shared with the Ten Commandments, “You shall not steal.” (Exodus 20:15, NASB95)
Camping rules boil down to one rule – respect others; respect their campsite, respect their property, respect their privacy, and respect the land. The same can be said of the command, “you shall not steal.” When we take something that belongs to someone else, we are disrespecting them.
Stealing is more than taking tangible items or money. It can also be stealing time, peace, dignity, and value. For instance, being lazy at work is stealing time and money from our employers. Playing loud music in the middle of the night may steal the peace of our neighbors. Ridiculing and bullying someone steals their dignity as a person. Looking down on others in judgment steals their innate human value.
When we look at this command through the lens of “love your neighbor as yourself,” respecting others shine through. Love demands that we take account of others, that we understand their boundaries, and seek to encourage instead of diminishing them. But we can take this a bit farther. Respecting each other may keep us from stealing but remains kind of neutral. Love, on the other hand, takes the further step of giving what is ours to others.
We may not often see into the lives of others in our everyday experiences. How well do we really know our co-workers, their troubles, struggles, hobbies, and joys? The same question could also be asked about the folks we worship at church. Before we can give, we must learn to see, which is something else we can learn from camping.
There have been many times when camping neighbors have helped each other out. Perhaps it’s because everything is more exposed. We can see the guy struggling with their tent, or hooking up power, or trying to start a fire. More than once, we’ve borrowed or given cooking oil or some other needed ingredient. And, of course, advice is often freely offered.
Love does much more than avoiding the sin of stealing; it also seeks ways to give in a multitude of different ways.
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