"Decalogue Part III"
What if I told you God doesn’t want you to own a gun? Why? Because he doesn’t want you to kill. How do I know this? It’s in the 10 Commandments. Right there at Commandment VI. Literally chiseled in stone, so to speak.
Right there below Commandment V. Honor thy father and thy mother, so don’t expect your parents to die from a lethal virus so your State can have a better economy, Greg Abbott. Idiot.
And of course, right above Commandment VII. Thou shalt not commit adultery. And so, as we enter into the heart of the batting order, our Creator would have us live and let live, pay reverence to those who brought us into this world and remain true to our spouses, most of whom have pledged to do so under the eyes of God, yet casually forget this commitment as if it were so much used tissue paper.
Now don’t get me wrong, I am not for returning to an age where ritual stoning seemed to take care of most everyday problems. We have come far since the days of Biblical miracles and now, at least most of us understand, that mercy comes before grace, that persons are by their very nature imperfect, and to forgive is indeed a sign of the divinity within us.
Let me ask you a question. When I say, “Ten Commandments” are you reminded of your own imperfection? And do you have, a twinge of “uh-oh” I really did do that? What I am asking is do you feel an element of fear and punishment for your transgressions, no matter how slight, of the 10 Commandments?
If you have, you wouldn’t be alone and in fact, you have a friend in me. Yet over the years I have yet to be hit by a lightning bolt. And so, what we should learn is that a violent death is not the answer for every theological problem that may come home to roost.
I would further argue that if it were, there would be more smudges on the ground than creatures still walking the planet, at least the upright ones. So, I ask, given the amount of information you have at your disposal, mostly acquired through your actual experience, are we to assume our God is a vengeful one?
It would seem to me He is not and what I see is a God of infinite love and mercy, always ready to give his children a second chance. Through self-determination and free will the chance to change, to learn, to grow and if possible flourish in life.
If we read the Ten Commandments, isn’t the way forward clear? After accepting there are forces in our life far greater than our own, and maybe we need a day to reflect upon the greatness of what lies ahead, not getting caught up all the time in the mishegoss that is everyday life, we look first to our father and mother for their wisdom and guidance in bringing us this far, don’t murder anyone along the way for that would be the antithesis of giving or getting another chance at divinity, try to keep your rocket in your pocket for we all know where that leads, and, to be compete, don’t steal, lie, and/or covet, with covet meaning allowing one’s emotions as an excuse to indulge in all of the above I-IX, that you know you should not do in the first place.
Why is this so difficult? It’s not, it’s just life. Life is already a death sentence so what is the point of hurrying it along? What is the meaning of a life lived in fear? In ignorance? In abject rejection of the sanctity of life and all the responsibility that goes along with that realization?
God did not give us Torah to punish us. He gave us his laws so that our laws, the laws of man could more closely align with his celestial wisdom. He does not want you to suffer. The fact there is suffering is a symptom not of our inability to follow His ways, but to harmonize the two laws, those being His and ours.
And so, it is harmony and harmony that is the true way. Not justice from a gun, not righteous indignation, not mindlessly stating the same tired tropes over and over in a misguided effort to “get it right.” You will know God’s way, not when you see it, or submit to it, but when you feel it. When you fill His love and His eternal kindness and caring. This is the way of God.
When was the last time you were good to yourself, just to be good to yourself? Are you not one of God’s creatures? This is where the Ten Commandments become so important to our spiritual growth. If you cannot forgive yourself for your own transgressions, how can you honestly expect to forgive those sometimes real, but often imagined transgressions of others?
The Ten Commandments allows us to recognize not only what we should do, but also, what thoughts and actions we should forgive. If you are worshiping a false prophet, graven image, or contributing to the coffers of those who would “save” you, my child, you have truly lost your way.
Because then, the way to heaven becomes a zero-sum race with winners and losers, even though we all know, whether we care to admit it or not, that we are all one. With one God, one heartbeat and one eternal soul to which we, all of us, will someday return.
Regardless of your religion, and regardless of who, what, when, where and why the Ten Commandments came to be, they are a gift of such magnitude I am having trouble finding words to fully express the, I guess I’ll coin a phrase here, humble majesty, an act of love and humility, of greatness and glory.
A map to a land of spiritual riches so far above our earthly imagination, from He who created and continues in a never-ending loop to nurture us, and yes, from time to time urges us to be better than we are.
Be like Mike? That’s all well and fine, but my advice? Be like God. And we know where to start. Be good to yourself and those around you for it matters more than we can possibly know.
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