Exodus 20:1-17. Then God spoke all these words: I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery; you shall have no other gods before me.
When I read or hear passages like this one from the Old Testament, I am always struck by the cultural differences between that ancient world and ours. But I’m also struck with the basic similarities in human nature that have stood the test of time. When I read this passage and discussed it with my children (always the most surprising source of wisdom for me), we concentrated on what God really wants us to take away from these words. Give your slaves one day a week off? Probably doesn’t apply. God punishes kids if their parents mess up? Certainly hope not. The message that shines through for us is this: Be nice. Appreciate what you have. Remember God, and make Him important in your life. It sounds so easy, but it’s also pretty easy to get off track when you have ten rules to remember. So for Lent this year, our family will try to keep it simple and reflect daily if we’ve achieved our three objectives: Be nice. Be thankful. Be with God.
— Margaret Chorlton
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