There has been much fervor over the Ten Commandments lately...Schools wanting to hang them on the wall, but being told not to by the courts.  A judge who hung them behind his seat in the court, and the people who found it offensive (or were they just ashamed?).  And right here in my home state of Indiana, a monument that had stood on the lawn of the Statehouse was defaced repeatedly.  Its replacement has been made, but the courts refuse to allow it to be placed on government grounds.

And even a tiny town somewhere in the South that wanted to use those lines inscribed in stone by God and given to Moses thousands of years ago as their town's only laws.  And the courts who weren't sure if that was legal or not.

And people on both sides feel so strongly about the issue!

But are we focusing on the wrong thing?

What do we expect the posting of the Ten Commandments in public places to accomplish?

Do we think that people will read them and realize the error of their ways  – the sinfulness of their nature? Do we suppose that once that is accomplished, society's ills will be cureable? That kids will no longer hate  each other, even kill each other... that gang members will give up their lives of violence... that people will immediately value human life, value each other?

I think we're putting too much faith in those words, important as they are.

In Romans 2, Paul noted that people do not have to have the law to realize  right from wrong. In verse 14, he said: "For when the Gentiles, which have  not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, these, having not 
the law, are a law unto themselves."

And King David wrote in Psalm 19, "The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork. Day unto day uttereth speech,  and night unto night sheweth knowledge. There is no speech nor language where their voice is not heard. ... The law of the Lord is perfect, converting  the soul: the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple. The statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart: the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes. The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever: the judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether.  More  to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold: sweeter also  than honey and the honeycomb. Moreover by them is thy servent warned: and in keeping of them there is great reward."

Yes, David rejoiced in God's law. He recognized the perfection of them, the benefits of following them. But in the first verse of the Psalm, he acknowledges that even without the law, all of creation cries out God's  glory. Anyone who can look around at this beautiful world of ours and deny God is not going to look at a stone tablet hanging on a wall and suddenly see the light.

And David himself did not follow God's commandments. No one is able to - the only perfect man was Jesus.

So even we, who know the law, still betray God daily.

Thank God that he does not require us to be perfect!

Let us pray for ourselves the prayer that David prayed in Psalm 119:18 "Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law."

And let us pray for others, who have closed their eyes, their minds, their hearts to God, so that even the glory of his creation cannot reach them.  The holiday season's great message of love means nothing to them.

Let us put aside bickering over a piece of paper, a slab of stone, with words written on them. Let us put those words into practice in our own lives, and let us ask God to show his love through us, make us one more piece of creation that cries out his glory, that shouts his message of love to those who do not see it yet.