Back to blogging about the book my sister, Paula, and I are reading. We took a little Christmas break but we are winding down to the end of the book by Joan Chittister. The chapter I am "in charge" of this week is the chapter that deals with the 10th commandment: "You shall not covet your neighbor's goods." Exodus 20:17Chittister relates several stories in this chapter to illustrate her points and even though I felt that she was a little repetitive in this chapter I was able to get a few of her points. She presents the argument that has been going on for generations as to whether the commandments are more action centered than idea centered and if they are concerned more toward ethical behavior or the development of right attitudes. I would like to think that perhaps they are a little of both??? But obviously we cannot "obey" them without actually taking action. I mean really----you can talk about something endlessly but if you don't take action what good is it?
The chapter outlines the difference of the interpretation of the last two commandments in different cultures and perhaps the easiest for me to understand was the definition that we as Christians should have of these commandments. To put it simply we need to be separate from the material aspects of life in order to appreciate the spiritual aspects.
Summed up in the following words I can make sense of this chapter: "The essence of the ninth and tenth commandments is, in the end, really the substance, the embodiment of the first commandment: It is the putting away of idols, the melting into God, the awareness there there is only one thing in life that matters. Finally." I love that visual---melting into God!!!! I need to remember that one!
I wasn't taken by this chapter as I was with some of the earlier ones and I am not sure why. Maybe my attentions are elsewhere (like with those in Haiti) but I did not get too many ah ha moments in this chapter. Maybe Paula got more out of it than i did. I did think it was a bit repetitive of earlier chapters. Once again the author reminds us that it is not wealth or having things that is the issue here---it is what we choose to do with what we have that makes the difference. True, true!
2 comments:
Well for once *I* liked this chapter--just goes to show that we as similar as we are, we are still in different places sometimes!
I also liked the visual of "melting into God," and Chittister's summarizing of the 9th and 10th commandments by the first commandment. Really, if you follow that one, the rest come...
I guess I liked the reassurance that when we put God first, we can (finally) get rid of our compulsion to compare ourselves with anyone else, and the tendency to compete with others in possessions acquired. It's OK to be happy with what we have and where we are (as long as God is in the center of that place!)
I also loved the story about the fisherman. I don't think I will ever be in that place--I live in a different culture, after all, where that kind of lifestyle would probably be frowned on...but it does sound delightful!
I'm reflecting on her final challenge in this chapter: Give away one thing a day for a month--I wonder if I could do that?? I *say* that I am not owned by my possessions, and I know I could still purge the house of "stuff" but I wonder if I would be able to actually find something I'd be willing to part with, every day for a month?? Something to think about...
The give away one thing a day thought challenged me too. You know the best thing we did was clean house before we went to Australia---I am still in disbelief at all the "stuff" we had accumulated. While we lived in Australia it was quite apparent that they do not value "things" in the same way that we do here in America. There houses were uncluttered and they did not have a bunch of stuff sitting around. When we came back I was determined to adopt more of that attitude but I can see that things are creeping in again....candles and teapots seem to be my weakness. So perhaps I,too, should start giving away one thing a day. Shouldn't be that hard to do....
Post a Comment