June 2020

Prelude to conversation…

It’s in the top ten.

Long ago…in a group attempting to become a community/nation…the group adopted some guidelines (NO…make that rules or commandments) which encouraged and enabled them to get along with each other.
Since then almost every thoughtful, reasonable and civil society has adopted many of the same rules.  As long as these thoughtful, reasonable and civil rules were followed that society flourished… or at least did not implode.

Thou shall not bear false witness…   is something close to the original thought…at least that’s how it sounded when translated into English.
Don’t lie… is how it might be translated today.

or…  tell the truth…the whole truth and nothing but the truth…

It is true that the above-mentioned community kept adding to the original 10 until there were over 600 rules to follow.  Most of the additional rules helped to modify or explain the original 10.  Today in many of our country’s court houses there are references and symbols reminding us of the top ten… the first ten.  They are very important for people to abide by as we hope to
live in a just and civil society.

Remember the story of the boy who cried Wolf!  There was no wolf…but every time he cried Wolf!…the community came to drive the wolf away.  Finally the community could no longer believe the boy…and then the wolf really came… and when the boy cried Wolf!  no one came.

Do not lie.  Tell the truth.

May it be so!
Rev. Ted Anderson