The Ten Commandments are a launch pad for great conversations with children. Take the first commandment, “You shall have no other gods,” which as Martin Luther explains, means: “We should fear, love and trust God above all things.” We can talk with children about things that become a “god” for us – things like money, power, social position, technology, corporations and political figures. We can share our own struggles as adults, too. What about the “gods” of being the perfect mom, maintaining an idyllic household, having a perfect work ethic or our own wisdom?
There is a kernel of truth in what I first though about the Ten Commandments: They aren’t for me. They are never about just one person, singular. They aren’t for me, because the Ten Commandments are for us, plural. Every one of the Ten Commandments keeps us in right relationship with God or with others. God’s gift of the Ten Commandments frees us to live as God intended – bound by the support, love, nurture and peace of loving relationships.
This message is excerpted from “Light in the darkness” by Lisa A. Smith in the March/April 2023 Gather magazine.
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