agreeing on what’s bad

As I wrestle with reaction to recent current events, I find myself mentally thumbing through the mantra of why we can’t somehow just all get along. We don’t. We won’t. And thus there seems too much infighting to make any authentic progression. So our means of crafting solution becomes less about listening, respecting, and evaluating varied viewpoint; it instead becomes more about recruiting others to our supposed side. If recruitment is significantly successful, listening, respecting, and evaluating varied viewpoint become no longer necessary.

What I’ve noticed in our recent infighting, is that we can’t even agree on what is bad.

I’ll say that again: we can’t agree on what is bad. We fight about even that. Where is the moral clarity? What is the definition of right and wrong? Does such exist any more?

Most of us (most of the time) agree with what is right… love, joy, peace, patience, perseverance, kindness, charity, etc. But agreeing with what is bad is harder for us.

The most succinct, complete list seems embedded in the ancient scriptures. Let me offer an abbreviated paraphrase:

1. No other gods, only me.
2. No carved gods of any size, shape, or form of anything whatever.
3. No using the name of God, your God, in curses or silly banter.
4. Observe the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.
5. Honor your father and mother.
6. No murder.
7. No adultery.
8. No stealing.
9. No lies about your neighbor.
10. No lusting after your neighbor’s house, wife, possessions, etc.

A couple commands would benefit from added explanation… The idea of “no carved gods of any size, shape,” whatever, for example, means that our own two hands cannot create something that authentically serves as a god.

Secondly, regarding the call to honor the Sabbath… I suppose we each do that differently; but I think the underlying idea is similar to being intentional in setting a time aside each week to be still — to thank and reflect upon the One who made us… resting… recognizing this world isn’t and has never been “all about me.”

Today’s challenge comes in the other eight commandments. I don’t think we agree anymore that those are really so bad…

Honor your father and mother? (… well, until those parents don’t raise you the way the rest of us think they should…)

Adultery? (… well, sometimes you were just meant to be with someone else… if it feels right, it must be right…)

And no lies? No lusting? (… oh, come on… we all do that!)

My point is that what’s bad has digressed into a point of contention.

Note that when a person walks up D.C.’s First Street steps to the majestic Supreme Court Building, near the top of the building is a sculpted row of the world’s historic law givers. Most of the figures face the man in the middle who is facing forward; it is Moses holding the Ten Commandments. Fascinating in regard to the acknowledged infighting, in recent years some have argued what Moses is holding; they are two stone tablets… but, as some contend… There’s no visible writing on the tablets… Moses could have been holding something else!

I suggest that a single, even halfhearted viewing of Charlton Heston’s most epic role will leave little doubt what Moses could and would be holding.

That’s it. We fight about it. If we can diminish any significance of the Ten Commandments — as noted by their prominence in the highest court of the land — then we can justify acting as if what they actually say isn’t that bad.

But if we can’t agree on what’s bad, it’s pretty hard to discern what’s actually good.

Respectfully…
AR