Protection of Property

‘Do not steal.’ Simple, eh?

Nothing is ever simple. Today we look at the blurred lines around the edges. Exodus 22:1-15 details some of the punishments and restitution for stealing in some very specific situations.

It’s all about restitution – not a word we use a lot, but one we would do well to put into practice more often. According to the Collins English Dictionary, restitution is –

1. the act of giving back something that has been lost or stolen

2. (Law) the act of compensating for loss or injury by reverting as far as possible to the position before such injury occurred

3. (General Physics) the return of an object or system to its original state, esp a restoration of shape after elastic deformation.

Being a victim of theft is a horrible experience. Your home feels violated; you feel violated. We’ve had a few experiences – when we were all in our beds in Low Fell, a thief entered through the back door and stole Andy’s laptop and some other bits and pieces before Courtney woke up and cried and frightened him off. He had his bike and some tools stolen from the back garden here and had his mobile phone stolen when we were celebrating our Silver Wedding Anniversary in Paris this year.  I’m sure most of you have your own stories to tell.

And then there is theft from those we know and love. I’ve already mentioned this in a previous post-

It starts small and then builds until trust is eroded and every bedroom in the house has a lock on it……….Stealing violates the individual and destroys relationship in a quiet, insidious way, even if it is just an eye liner, a pair of socks or another £10 note.  Ten Simple Rules

Then the lines get even more blurred.

What about when we borrow something from a friend and forget to ever give it back? Or don’t take care of it and return it in worse condition?

What if we agree to look after someone’s home and pets when they are away and don’t do a very good job of it? What if we let their plants die?

What if we take sponsor money off someone and forget to ever pay it into the charity?

What if we notice that we have been undercharged in a restaurant and do nothing about it?

What if we keep asking for expert advice or practical help from a friend for free and never offer to pay for it?

What if we linger over our breaks at work?

What if we make sure it is never our turn to pay for a round in the pub? Or to take our car and use our petrol when we go out?

It all comes down to respect. Respect for the property of others. Respect for the individual. Respect for the employer.

Life is not about what you can get away with.

I’m feeling guilty about a pink wig right now. A friend kindly lent me some pink accessories for my Tickled Pink Party in the summer and the wig has never reappeared. It wasn’t new or precious but it wasn’t mine to lose. I didn’t get round to returning the bag (minus the wig) for too long and didn’t do enough to make up for the wig. I need to remind myself that ‘Restitution should be quick, fair and final.’

I’m not great at looking after things – my own things and by extension, other people’s things. This is a challenge to me. It means I’m pretty relaxed about when people borrow from me, which is a good thing, but I’m not great at taking care of anyone’s possessions. Be warned! And by the way, my husband is even worse than me (possessions have no value for him at all – well, most possessions….don’t mess with his phone, his laptop or his tent!)

We believe in travelling light and not having many treasures on earth and not holding anything too dear, but this does not mean that we should be careless with what we have.

We should still look after our stuff. And yours.