Joanna Harader
(Adapted from a sermon preached February 5, 2017)

How then shall we live?

That’s a question that the ancient Israelites surely had as they wandered around in the wilderness after being freed from slavery in Egypt.

How then shall we live?

If you are feeling disoriented lately, confused and exhausted and unsure of where to plant your feet—just imagine how the Israelites were feeling. Sure, slavery in Egypt was awful. But they had homes. They had food. They knew what to expect. And now, they are in the wilderness. Their home is constantly moving. Their food appears mysteriously on the ground each morning—or from the sky. Water from a rock. They’re not sure where they are going or how they will get there or when they will get there or what they should do in the meantime.

How then shall we live?

We tend to read this passage, the “Ten Commandments,” as a list of rules that people have to follow. But in reality, they are a gift of guidance from God to people who are feeling lost. And I hope that we can receive these “commandments” in the same way–as gifts for us during a wilderness time; as something firm to hold on to when so much seems to be slipping through our fingers.

Don’t worry, I’m not going to try to go through all ten. But I do want to start with the first and foundational commandment: “You shall have no other gods before me.” This, of course, is closely linked to the second commandment: “You shall not make for yourself an idol.”

It can be easy to dismiss this command as something that merely serves a vain and “jealous” god. But in reality, prioritizing and serving a good and loving God is good for us, not just a vanity thing for God.

Having no other gods before God means that our country is not our god. Anyone who says or cheers for the phrase “America first” is committing idolatry. Yes, we desire safety, health, and prosperity for our country. But not at the expense of safety, health, and prosperity for people—for other children of God—in other parts of the world.

Having no other gods before God means that we are not our own gods. First, that means that we cannot live in a way that only takes into account ourselves and our own comfort, success, happiness, whatever. We are in relationship with others and must consider all of those others as we make our way in this world. Second, the fact that we are not our own gods means that we don’t have to be the one to control everything or, maybe more to the point, to fix everything. When we feel powerless, we can look to our God who has ultimate power.

Having no other gods before God means that fear is not our god. Whatever violence is done, whatever laws are passed, whatever tragedy comes, we cannot be controlled by fear. That is a form of idolatry. To follow the first commandment means that we always remember God’s ultimate power and God’s deep love for us. While we certainly may feel afraid, we are not controlled by the fear, because the fear is not our god. We are controlled by our desire to serve the one true God. We are filled with the peace that comes from acknowledging God as God.

We could easily list the things that we in the United States too often put before God: material wealth, national security, political party, career, status, ideology . . .

In the end, having no other gods before God keeps us sane. It gives us perspective. It lets us breathe.

Also, having no other gods before God is an act of resistance. It is to refuse to grant earthly authorities the power they want to claim. It is to maintain our freedom to live according to the love and peace and mercy and justice demanded by God. No matter what the rest of the world is doing.

You shall have no other gods before me.
You shall not make for yourself an idol.

You shall not make wrongful use of the name of the Lord your God.

Let’s talk about that one, shall we? Because the name of the Lord our God is being used wrongfully. I’m not talking about people who sprinkle “God” and “Jesus” in among swear words and exclamations. I’m talking about the people invoking God’s name to pass hateful legislation that endangers the lives of transgender people; using God’s name to whitewash the history taught in public schools and ban books from libraries and rally people against immigrants. There are so many ungodly things being done in and justified by the name of God right now. The third commandment has not just been broken, it has been shattered in this country.

It is tempting, I think, with so much wrongful use of God’s name swirling around us, to distance ourselves from the name of God, from the identity of Christian. But I wonder if this is not a particularly important time to live into the positive side of this prohibition—to intentionally and boldly make faithful use of the name of God. To double down on our acting out and speaking of God’s love and justice and mercy.

So moving on to number four: Remember the sabbath day, and keep it holy.

This one. This one I offer as a gift. I beg you to take it seriously. To consider what it would mean for you to have a sabbath. Every week. I know some of you grew up with strict rules about what you could and—mostly couldn’t—do on Sundays. That’s not what I’m talking about. Jesus, while he honored the Sabbath—took it very seriously—he did not follow all the rules. He healed on the Sabbath. He let his followers gather grain so they could eat on the Sabbath.

The point is not to be bored and miserable for a day. The point is to set aside time when you rest and when you focus on connecting with God and with other people. It is a time to worship and pray. Time to explore the outdoors, to make art, to talk with friends, to play games with your children, to eat together, to sing, to bake, to take a nap . . . What gives you joy? What feeds your spirit? Do that at least once a week.

And maybe make a few rules for yourself about what you won’t do. Not arbitrary rules to make your life harder. But rules to protect you from things that drain your spirit and make you tired. Ideally, I stay off of Facebook and email and news sites during my Sabbath—which goes for 24 hours starting when church is over on Sunday. Many people choose to not watch TV, to refrain from shopping.

I think Sabbath is an essential practice right now. We need to connect at a deep level with God, with creation, with the people around us, with ourselves. And we need a break from the input of the world that can wear us down.

If you do not have a Sabbath practice, I encourage you think and pray about what that might look like for you. If a full day is too much, set aside a few hours. Be flexible with yourself and give yourself grace. And let yourself rest.

How then shall we live?

You shall have no other gods before me.
You shall not make for yourself an idol.
You shall not make wrongful use of the name of the Lord your God.
Remember the sabbath day, and keep it holy.

Important words from God. They are all important:
Honor your father and your mother.
You shall not commit adultery.
You shall not steal.
You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
You shall not covet your neighbor’s stuff.

Important words for the Israelites in their desert wanderings. Important words for us in how we should live in relationship with each other.

How then shall we live?

There is no simple, easy answer, but these ancient words from God can provide a bit of solid footing as we struggle to live faithful lives today—in the midst of our own wilderness. They are words that people of faith have clung to for thousands of years, and words that we can receive as a gift from God for us today.