TASK #18 – The Perfect Ten, Minus 2
“It is the final proof of God’s omnipotence that he need not exist in order to save us.” Peter De Vries
The Ten Commandments…ten very simple rules to follow, with the expectation that if obeyed, your life will be grounded, satisfying, and ultimately rewarded.
But that, of course, is much easier said than done. Life is too nuanced, too complicated, too incredibly difficult to navigate simply by following ten rules written in simpler times when black and white were, too put it frankly, black and white…
So how can you avoid coveting? I don’t know if you can. For me, the first thing I needed to do was to figure out what it was I coveted…I made a list. |
On the other hand, the commandments are easy to understand: don’t curse, don’t lie–although Washington has turned into a no-truth zone–don’t kill, don’t steal…simple.
However, The two “covet” commandments throw me: Thou shalt not cover thy neighbor’s wife, and thou shalt not covet thy neighbor’s goods.
“Covet” means WANT by the way. You want your neighbor’s wife, you want your neighbor’s goods. But it’s hard not to covet. It’s hard not to want what someone else has, especially if your neighbor’s wife wears a string bikini when she’s washing the car.
So how can you avoid coveting? I don’t know if you can. For me, the first thing I needed to do was to figure out what it was I coveted…I made a list. It turned out be a long list. But now it was in the open. Examples: I coveted my friend’s Lincoln; my co-worker’s phone, my buddy’s watch..
But there was more…I didn’t just covet material things, I coveted those things that are more intrinsic to our happiness, i.e., my brother-in-laws peace of mind; an old friend’s sense of fun; my neighbor’s easy sense of humor–he laughs when things go south, while I rage…
Digging for, and writing down, that which I coveted was very cathartic for me.
TASK:
Go outside your house or apartment. Look around. Write down the stuff that you want, but other people have. Be precise. Do they same at work, at the gym, at the auto shop, at the movies… The list is going to be long an involved. Look at each item. Ask yourself why you want it, and if you deserve it…
Photo courtesy of Joe Doe
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