On this day when we celebrate our country’s birth, a few folks are wanting the Ten Commandments posted in our schools. Years ago, Kurt Vonnegut once said, “Christians have often demanded that the Ten Commandments be posted on public buildings, but never the Beatitudes.” And he wondered, “why?”
Instead of the 10 Commandments, how about posting the Beatitudes on public buildings?
- How about hanging, “Blessed are the merciful” in our courtrooms?
- How about posting “Blessed are peacemakers” in Congress, the White House, and the Pentagon?
- How about making a place for all to see “Blessed are the poor in spirit” in the grocery stores or gas stations?
- Let’s make bold banners that say, “Blessed are the meek” and hang them in our high school gyms.
- And, of course, posted to all to see, “Blessed are those who mourn” in hospital ICU wings.
Hanging the Ten Commandments in public school? “No!” is my answer. Unless we also post, the Five Pillars of Islam, Five Precepts of Buddhism, 613 Jewish Mitzvot, the Rastafarian Commandments, the Dharma of Hinduism, Five Principles of Shinto, the Diasporic Religion of Haitian Vodou, etc., etc.
Living the Beatitudes? “Yes!” is the answer!
To be the church God calls us to be, we must be the conscience of the nation and the conscience of society—and boy do we need that right now. Where there is good, we must praise; where there is evil, we must condemn—and inevitably, the powerful will try to silence the troublesome voice of conscience. If you are doing it right as a Christian, don’t be surprised when you get people angry at you this July 4th.
Shalom, Paul