A correspondent suggested that I should re-read The Ten Commandments, to get my faith straightened out. So I did.
The Ten Commandments are terse, imperative, and unconditional. They offer no wiggle room, no exceptions, no loopholes for special situations.
The first three commandments define relationships with God; the rest define human relationships. Presumably, if they’re followed, the rest of the universe will unfold as it should.
Except that it won’t.
Even if I obeyed every command slavishly -- an apt metaphor, given the Hebrew people’s escape from Egypt -- my behaviour would do nothing about climate change, disease pandemics, mass starvation, poverty, acidification of the oceans…
Oceans were probably the least concern of a tribe drifting in the desert.
And “slavishly” is not how most of us obey the Commandments.

1. You shall have no other gods before Me.
Lotteries, work, success, winning, sex, drugs, even golf -- name almost any pursuit, and someone in your circle will pay more attention to it than to God. Eighty per cent of people profess belief in God; I’ll guess that fewer than five per cent think of God when they’re not specifically asked about their beliefs.
2. You shall not worship idols.
Theologian Peter Rollins argues that whatever we most desire, we turn into an idol. See above.
3. You shall not take the name of your God in vain.
Oh, sure! Eavesdrop on any conversation! Even my 12-year-old granddaughter says “Oh my God!” in every second sentence.
4. Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.
Christians don’t venerate the Sabbath (the seventh day of the week) anyway. Unless you start your week on Monday, as some calendars and datebooks do. A few people still try to keep Sunday holy. But it’s hard when soccer and baseball leagues organize tournaments for Sunday, when shopping malls and grocery stores stay open seven days a week.
5. Honour your father and your mother.
Right -- put them in a retirement home so someone else can take care of them.
6. You shall not murder.
Technically, murder is still a crime. But only if you do it face to face, it seems. It’s not really murder if you do it at a distance with guided missiles, drones, bombs, or heavy artillery.
7. You shall not commit adultery.
If a movie doesn’t include adultery these days, critics feel compelled to mention the omission.
8. You shall not steal.
Unless it’s from government. The Panama Papers suggest that tax evasion is endemic, especially among those who can afford high-priced accountants. Or if it’s identity theft. Or seniors’ savings.
9. You shall not bear false witness.
Honesty may be the only commandment we still respect. We don’t forgive governments and corporations who lie to us; we don’t forgive investment dealers who set up ponzi schemes, we don’t forgive spouses who cheat on us…
10. You shall not covet.
Well, there goes the advertising industry.

Author/theologian Michael Dowd also noted that the historic Commandments have little relevance to the crises threatening the survival of our species and our planet today. So he wrote his own set of “Ten Commandments to Avoid Extinction.” You can download his text and commentary at http://michaeldowd.org/
More on this subject in coming weeks.
*****************************************
Copyright © 2016 by Jim Taylor. Non-profit use in congregations and study groups, and links from other blogs, welcomed; all other rights reserved.
        To comment on this column, write jimt@quixotic.ca
*****************************************
.
YOUR TURN

We had a bit of confusion about last week’s column. John Shaffer wrote to say that I had published two letters from a John Shaffer who wasn’t him! Some e-mail sleuthing turned out that I have two readers, both named John Shaffer, with the same spelling, both from Washington state. 
We think we have this sorted out. They’ve been in touch with each other. One is going to be John Shaffer A, and the other John Shaffer B. They may even have become friends -- or at least respected acquaintances.

Tom Watson was interested in Val Anderson’s comment: “We’re doing some tough thinking about this issue, and we’re thinking about how we’re doing that thinking -- that’s good. But are we giving any thought to how we’re thinking about our thinking?”
Tom wondered about “the reaction in the room when Val Anderson asked his question. Did anyone understand what he was saying? Did it push the examination of the matter at hand any further towards a decision?”
As I recall it, there was a moment or two of blank silence, and then the debate rolled on unchanged. 

Steve Lawson wrote, “What you describe about the mind is what daily mindfulness exercise is all about and the way of Buddhist thought, being aware of the mind's activities, observing and noting how things work without judgement, that then leads to more compassionate thinking of self and others. We should all practice it for the benefit of the world.”

Isabel Gibson found that the letters tied in well with last week’s topic: “I enjoyed the range of comments on humour/irreverence. Perhaps a perfect example of your topic -- an opportunity to sit in a different chair . . . Long may the two-or-more-chair work that you make possible, continue.”

David Gilchrist also found himself stimulated by the letters: “This is not so much about today's ‘right on’ column, as it about reactions to last week's. Years ago, in my trail-riding days, I was often struck by the completely different views of the same mountain seen from different positions. I am still amazed sometimes at how differently different people can interpret the same piece -- whether from Jim Taylor or from the Bible.
“I did not see your sea chanty as ridicule of God nor of the Crucifixion/Resurrection. Rather I saw it as a commentary on how shallow our faith can be when we come to practising it. It made me think of a story someone sent me some time ago:
“A driver was being tailgated on a busy boulevard. Suddenly, the light turned yellow, just in front of him. He did the right thing, stopping at the crosswalk, even though he could have accelerated through the intersection. The tailgating woman behind him hit the roof, and the horn, screaming in frustration as she missed her chance to get through the intersection, dropping her cell phone and makeup. 
“As she was still in mid-rant, she heard a tap on her window. She looked up into the face of a very serious police officer. The officer took her to the police station where she was searched, finger printed, photographed, and placed in a holding cell. After a couple of hours, she was escorted back to the booking desk where the arresting officer apologized:. "I'm very sorry for this mistake. You see, I pulled up behind your car while you were blowing your horn, flipping off the guy in front of you, and cussing a blue streak at him. I noticed the 'Choose Life' license plate holder, the 'What Would Jesus Do' bumper sticker, the ' Follow Me to Sunday- School' bumper sticker, and the chrome-plated Christian fish emblem on the trunk. Naturally, I assumed you must have stolen the car.’”

*****************************************

PSALM PARAPHRASES

The psalm for this Sunday is probably the best known and most loved psalm in the Bible, Psalm 23. I don’t suggest that my paraphrase is in any way better than the original. Rather, I hope that seeing it from a different angle (as David Gilchrist did with a mountain, above) might enhance your appreciation of the original. 
I don’t think I have used this particular paraphrase before. It struck me, when writing it, that few feelings compare with coming home after a succession of hotel rooms, rental cars, and wearying meetings. 

It's so good to be home, 
to lie down in my own bed, 
to play my favorite music, 
to shed the tensions of travel 
the way water runs off my shoulders in the shower.
Thank you, God. 
You got me to the right gates in the airports;
You delivered me from dangerous drivers; 
You kept me from getting lost in the concrete canyons of the city. 
You gave me courage to face my critics. 
You did not desert me. 
When I was lonely, you found me a friend; 
When I was weary, you led me to a welcome. 
The airline didn't lose my bags.
I am at peace. 
I'd like to live in these familiar walls forever...
Come live with me, and let me live with you.

For paraphrases of most of the psalms used by the Revised Common Lectionary, you can order my book Everyday Psalms from Wood Lake Publishing, info@woodlake.com.

*******************************************

YOU SCRATCH MY BACK…
Ralph Milton has a new project, called Sing Hallelujah – the world’s first video hymnal. It consists of 100 popular hymns, both new and old, on five DVDs that can be played using a standard DVD player and TV screen, for use in congregations who lack skilled musicians to play piano or organ. More details at www.singhallelujah.ca
Isabel Gibson's thoughtful and well-written blog, www.traditionaliconoclast.com
Wayne Irwin's "Churchweb Canada," an inexpensive service for any congregation wanting to develop a web presence, with free consultation. <http://www.churchwebcanada.ca>
Alva Wood's satiric stories about incompetent bureaucrats and prejudiced attitudes in a small town are not particularly religious, but they are fun; write alvawood@gmail.com to get onto her mailing list.
Tom Watson writes a weekly blog called “The View from Grandpa Tom’s Balcony” – ruminations on various subjects, and feedback from Tom’s readers. Write him at twatson@sentex.net

*****************************************

TECHNICAL STUFF

If you want to comment on something, send a message directly to me, jimt@quixotic.ca.
        To subscribe or unsubscribe, send an e-mail message to jimt@quixotic.ca. Or you can subscribe electronically by sending a blank e-mail (no message) to softedges-subscribe@quixotic.ca. Similarly, you can un-subscribe at softedges-unsubscribe@quixotic.ca.
        You can access years of archived columns at http://edges.Canadahomepage.net.
        I write a second column each Sunday called Sharp Edges, which tends to be somewhat more cutting about social and justice issues. To sign up for Sharp Edges, write to me directly, jimt@quixotic.ca, or send a note to sharpedges-subscribe@quixotic.ca

********************************************