I really enjoy the TV quiz programme ‘QI’, hosted by Stephen Fry – he always seems so authoritative, though he clearly has material prepared for him. However, in the first book version of the quiz, I discovered answers which were not correct, or at least questions to which there might be another answer.
Revd. Hilary Geisow with the Archdeacon
I suppose that it is inevitable that there should be occasional slip-ups; the production team cannot be right all the time, and they do have a disclaimer to that effect in the book.
Recently there was a question about how many commandments there are. The given answer caused slight consternation for at least one parishioner.
There are indeed many more than the 10 which sometimes grace boards in churches. In fact, there are lots of references to commandments in the early books of the Bible, but such is the high regard that the Jews had for Moses that the other commandments were relegated to more obscure Biblical texts.
For many, the well-known Ten indicate a God who loves law and order, rules and rational systems. I’ve heard it said that if only we all obeyed the Ten Commandments then our society would be a much better place.
But I believe that is to misunderstand what these commandments are about. At the very least, would you really relish being told that you could not do what you wanted to do on Sunday?
Would you welcome being forced to have a day of rest when there were no newspapers or TV unless pre-prepared on the Saturday?
Imagine no petrol stations open to allow you to go off in the car to a beauty spot or other entertainment, and no refreshment facilities when you got there… and so on.
Actually, a careful reading of the Ten Commandments, found in Exodus chapter 20, preferably using a contemporary translation, shows us a God who is asking his people to do something extra-ordinary.
They are being asked to throw away all their other comforts and securities (including other gods) and rely on him alone. The rules are there to prevent people using their natural advantages for their own, selfish, ends. So the strong cannot have whatever takes their fancy, and the clever cannot lie their way out of trouble.
The Ten Commandments summarise what is necessary to create a just society, a society which recognises the irrational work of God. This is the same God who demonstrated his holy might on the cross.
We have a genius for dumbing God down. We try to worship a God who is comfortable and undemanding – but that is to project God in our image, not to recognise him in his.
The picture of ‘Christ crucified’ is not comfortable; God is not predictable. But God loves us like nothing else on earth and welcomes all who turn to him for help.
Only Ten Commandments – that’s more than enough for me!
Hilary Geisow
01733 253638
