Today in our readings for Mass we are reminded of the Ten Commandments. I think the word commandment can be a bit challenging for some, especially if they rebel against any kind of authority almost instinctively. You could call them recommendations in a sense. God is recommending a way for us to live that will make us happy and live in harmony with each other if we can obey these ‘instructions’. The fundamental message is about respect – for God, for each other and each other’s property. Most of the problems in our lives occur when we fail to follow these rules. Where there is no respect society starts to break down. You can see it in the behaviour of children towards their parents and teachers. Losing that fundamental belief in respecting their authority means that they set their own rules and unfortunately pushing boundaries becomes something they do without any guilt as they don’t recognise that there are any boundaries.
We are living in a society that is a product of that loss of respect, worsening as the older generations leave us and a new way of living is becoming apparent. The laws in our society can’t replace these fundamental commandments – I see them as more ethical, inbuilt laws that we obey because we choose to and are taught to from an early age. Law and ethics work hand in hand, you need laws to uphold society but you need ethics to make society a more loving environment in which to live. The law can’t dictate what you believe to be right in every respect.
The law has sanctions and we pay the price while we are here. Failure to obey the commandments may not exact a price while we are alive, but there is a greater price involved that we don’t see – distancing ourselves from our God.
I hope that I have managed to give a good viewpoint about these commandments and don’t forget, we have a merciful God more than ready to forgive us when we get it wrong, we just need to say we’re sorry.
God bless x
Widows Mote 