TheBanyanTree: The 10 Suggestions: a revision

[LaLinda]

I was reading a funny commentary on The 10 
Commandments and as I thought abut them, I felt a 
dark cloud hovering over me. I was forced to 
admit that I’ve found the 10 Cs a bit tough to 
swallow, especially as a child. I mean, when you 
have to have your mother define “covet” and 
“adultery,” the adultery part which she kind of 
fudged on, as I recall, I think there is not much 
danger of violating the commandments, at least, 
at this time, although I reserve the right to be 
mistaken and even try to provide for that projected mistake, below.

The Pentecostal neighbors gave me a charm 
bracelet from which dangled 10 gold tone 
pseudo-scrolls, engraved with 1 solemn 
commandment each. “Yikes,” I remember my young 
self thinking, “this must be serious if you’re 
expected to wear them.” I was reluctant to wear 
the bracelet because I found it intimidating, and 
in fact, I felt the commandments, in general, a 
pretty harsh approach. I totally get that some 
people need a sledgehammer between the eyes to 
get their attention and I’m pretty sure God was 
aware of what was going on down in camp when he 
etched the 10 in stone for Moses to take back to 
the idolatrous revelers, so, yes, desperate times 
call for desperate measures, but for 7 year olds 
who have just received their First Holy 
Communion
perhaps a bit heavy-handed. God seemed 
to have figured this out and decided that this 
method of communication without explanation and 
clarification didn’t work so well, especially on 
teenagers, for whom they might be retitled, “The 
10 Seriously Important Suggestions to Help 
Protect Your Permanent Record,” in which case 
these should probably should include, “Thou salt 
not slack in school,” “Thous shalt not tell thy 
music teacher they are unprofessional,” “Thou 
shalt not hoard your lunch money to spend at the 
mall” and last, but definitely not least, “Thou 
shalt not rack up thy parents’ cell phone bill.”

God’s decision for a softer, gentler delivery was 
an element in why Jesus had to come to teach us 
about the kingdom of God because the text of the 
10 was just not hitting the nuances of the 
topics. Jesus covers himself by saying that he 
came to *fulfill* the law. Okay. If he says so, 
but I so prefer his Great Commandment, “You shall 
love the Lord your God with all your heart, with 
all your soul, with all your mind, and with all 
your strength.’ The second is this: ‘You shall 
love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no 
other commandment greater than these.” (Mark 12) 
I find this much more Zen, but then, there needs 
some explanation on the loving of God part. I 
will say, though, that having teenagers has 
caused me a greater understanding of how a God 
could love us and keep taking our guff, no matter 
what we do. I may want to fire my kids, but then, 
inflict them on whom? I figure God would feel the same way about us. At least.

Now, for little people, I think a major overhaul 
is called for, although I don’t think, as I 
implied earlier, that these were intended for 
children, but for major brazen hedonists. Still, 
just in case one insists that our children need 
to be terrorized with heavy concepts far beyond 
their age, we could spin the 10 for those already 
up to the challenge of violating them. I offer these:


The 10 Suggestions
    * “In case you didn’t already know, I am the 
Lord your God, who made you and gave you your mom 
and dad and brothers and sisters, although I hope 
you don’t hold that against me. In any case, I am 
the best and yes, I am the Boss of you.
    * “You shouldn’t make pictures or Play-doh 
sculptures of things you intend to make more 
important than I am, since it makes me feel left 
out, which could bring on a need for time out for 
me which would be highly inappropriate.. I am, 
however, loving and kind to those who stick with 
me and consider my suggestions.
    * “You shouldn’t use my name in crude or crass ways. It’s just not nice.
    * Remember to make Sunday a special day for 
rest, relaxation and fun because I blessed it just for you.
    * Be kind and loving to your mother and 
father so that your life may not end early. Think about that.
    * Don’t kill people - it’s complicated.
    * Don’t do very naughty things. It makes life easier.
    * Including not stealing. Somebody may need 
the thing you want to take from them.
    * Don’t say untrue things about others on 
purpose and try to be honest. It makes people trust you.
    * Don’t wish longingly for other kids’ 
things. You’ll get yours when the time is right, so wait your turn.



I’ll run these by some little people I know and see what they think.


LLD