The movie Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl brings the viewer along on a wild ride as it takes those who were, in fact, historically very vicious people and portrays them, in fantasy, as funny, clever, perhaps even misunderstood and mistreated victims of the East India Tea Company.  They are not so much pirates as they are loveable characters who simply want their freedom.

That's pretty much the way it is in most movies.  A grain of truth here, a bit of fact there, mixed in with a healthy dose of desire for personal and/or financial gain, and suddenly you have a completely new story that hardly bears any resemblance to the evidence of history.  But even then, we can discover something about ourselves, even how we stand before God.

In the story, the heroine, pretending to be Elizabeth Turner, is taken aboard the pirate ship, Black Pearl.  She invokes Parley, a right created by the Pirate's Code to allow a captive to speak with the captain, and proceeds to negotiate the release of her besieged Port Royal.  When the deal is done, the dreaded Captain Barbossa orders his men to hoist sails and leave the harbor, "ne'er to return".  But he refuses to allow Elizabeth to leave the ship.  When she tries to hold him accountable to the Code, he quickly answers...

"First, your return to shore was not part of our negotiations nor our agreement.  So I must do nothing.  And secondly, you must be a pirate for the Pirate's Code to apply, and you're not.  Thirdly, the Code is more what you'd call guidelines than actual rules.  Welcome aboard the Black Pearl, Miss Turner."

It reminds me of the time I decided to replace a vent hood over my stove (which was necessary because of a fire but that's another story).  I measured the space, bought the hood, got the tools I needed for the job, and read the instructions very carefully......sorta.  Actually, I glanced over them because surely I could figure this out.  I mean, how hard could it be?  So I began to remove the old, slightly charred hood until all that was left were the electrical wires.  Grabbing my handy cutters, I quickly snipped a wire.

A few minutes later, after my hair stopped smoking, I looked at the wire cutters still in my hand and noticed a large chunk of metal missing, right where the wire had been.  I unsteadily walked over to the instructions and noticed in large bold letter...Disconnect all electrical power before cutting wires.

A Code.  Instructions.  They're all just "mere" guidelines, right?  Something to give us suggestions as we determine our own course?  That's how we often take the meaning of the word, but a guideline is something entirely different.  A detailed plan or explanation for setting standards or determining a course of action; a rule or principle for appropriate behavior; a lightly drawn mark used for keeping something in line; a rope or cord to guide one's steps, especially over rocky terrain.

Interesting.  Turns out, there's nothing "mere" about guidelines, after all.  We may think of them as something less, but actually they are the code and instructions meant to keep us going in the right direction...whether that's in hiking along a trail, traveling from one town to another, hanging a picture, installing a vent hood, or applying medication for electrical burns.  But what about the word of God?

In the Bible we find that the word of God is a flawless, active and living means by which God guides us in all truth and wisdom.  Through it He has made us a promise...I guide you in the way of wisdom and lead you along straight paths. When you walk, your steps will not be hampered; when you run, you will not stumble...and a warning...Hold on to instruction, do not let it go; guard it well, for it is your life. Proverbs 4:11-13  But how often we substitute our own desires, plans, and traditions, and as Jesus said of the Pharisees, so nullify the word of God (Matthew 15:6b).

King David faced hardships most of us can never know.  When he walked his own path, his world collapsed around him.  But when he followed God, he found something more important than having his own way.  Show me your ways, O LORD, teach me your paths; guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long. Psalms 24:4-5  He found hope.

Search your heart.  Look at your life.  Do you follow God's code and instructions?  Are His ways your own?  Or do your actions scream out for all to hear, "They're more what you'd call...guidelines"?

For this God is our God for ever and ever; He will be our guide even to the end. Psalms 48:14

Take care and be God's,

Chuck

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