Read Mark 7:1-8, 14-15, 21-23 with your family.

People have a lot of ideas about how we are supposed to behave as religious people. Dress nice. Be kind even when people are hurting us. Never say bad words. Do what the adults say even when it doesn’t make sense.

But Jesus never told us to do any of that.

In this story we are reminded that all of those rules were created by other people, not by God. God only asked us to love each other and take care of each other.

There are two kinds of rules: those that make the world better for others, and those meant to control other people. The church and many adults usually put too much attention on the rules of control and forget the rules of God.

God wants us to take care of each other, so some of God’s rules are: don’t hurt people, feed people when they are hungry, make people feel better when they are sad, and make sure people have safe places to live.

God’s rules are not about control. God’s rules are about loving our neighbours.