Force is Weak

Coercion and force are signs of desperation and weakness. World leaders who use arms, bullying rhetoric, soldiers, and propaganda to accomplish their purposes, are the weakest of the weak. Cowards clothed in scary uniforms seeking momentary power and victory, but destined to fall and fail, eventually.

Human beings were created for freedom even though that reality has been slippery and hard to hold onto. And it’s not only politicians who resort to legislation and intimidation to accomplish their will. Church and those in pastoral office tend to do the same when their message seems to fall on indifferent or deaf ears. Banning abortion and posting the Ten Commandments are actions violating God’s gift of freedom of choice to all.

The weak feel threatened when others disagree.

God is not indifferent to the ways and action of humanity. But he will not force compliance. Instead he invites us to reconsider, to think again, to perhaps pause, reflect, and listen more deeply. Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection illustrated God’s heart for all. He lived in peace, healed the sick, invited those within earshot to listen and learn, He came to challenge religion, disagree with compliance by coercion, and to dismantle the false impression and understanding of God peddled by power-hungry religious leaders.

The Ten Commandments were never intended to be pinned to school walls as rules for children to keep with threats of punishment if they were not adhered to. Why? because the Ten Commandments are impossible to keep. Not one person loves God with all their heart, mind, and soul. Everyone has envied something, been jealous of someone, stolen something in one way or another. Everyone has committed adultery by loving something that fulfilled them in a dysfunctional way. The object of the lusting is immaterial: sex, money, positions of power, work for reward, popularity, education, security, travel, religion, sport, you name it.

We could go through every commandment and check none of the boxes.

So what’s the point?

Let’s use the metaphor of a mirror. In the morning, every morning, most of us eventually look in a mirror. Perfection is not reflected back. We don’t expect perfection. We come to the mirror aware that we need to make some changes before heading out. Applying make up, brushing hair, adjusting clothes. Similarly, God’s gift of the Ten Commandments is a two-way mirror to help us prepare for daily life.

The first thing we see when we look at the Ten Commandments is a description of the character of God. Each of the Commandments describes an aspect of what God is like. Then we look again and see how we compare. When we realize, on reflection, that we look nothing like him we can do one of two things. We can smash the mirror, run away, and never look at it again. Or, we can perhaps embrace the revelation that we can never be anything like God in character, but perhaps we can at least ask for help.

At the point of self-aware revelation God points us to Jesus, who never condemns: anymore than a parent would scold a child for being disheveled in the morning. Instead he offers to help us, teach us, empower us, and walk with us on the journey of transformation.

God’s grace is all about how he loves us precisely when we stand before his mirror and realize how unlike him we are. Legalists and religious zealots accuse and berate, whereas God invites and embraces at the very moment we expected rejection and condemnation. Even then, we have the freedom to ignore, for whatever reason. And there are consequences for every choice, informed or ignorant.

The good news is God is patient and kind. “If the choice you made isn’t working out, perhaps there’s another choice, and another, and another.” We’re given, entrusted with freedom to respond, or not.

Cries to God come in all sorts of styles, voices, and expressions…..