Heaven is Here and Now...

But can only last if we follow the commandments of God.

By Dan Barber

Thou shalt have no other gods before me.

It seems to be agreed upon that there is only one thing that created everything. Scientists are still trying to figure out what caused the spark of creation resulting in the “Big Bang.” Some string theory advocates believe that we even have multiple universes existing all at the same time, which would explain how God would be able to be everywhere at once…past, present and future and even at the beginning of  “our” universe.

Science knows and has proven that our universe is several billion years old and some people have glommed onto people of faith who take the story of creation literally and believe our existence is only about 6,000 years old. That belief makes sense in a certain way because the art of writing was created just about 6,000 years ago which started the ability to record our history. Many writers then and now use the art of the metaphor to simplify their ideas. Those people who disbelieve and make fun of people of faith risk damnation metaphorically speaking.

Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. 

According to the Bible, we were created in the image of God so there is no need to create a weird interpretation of the image of God because all we have to do to see the face of God is to see all human beings as we view ourselves. If we can do that without regard to race or appearance then we will always be with God.

Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain

This means that we should not demean God by acting on his behalf for selfish reasons or to do harm to His creation. When a person kills in the name of God that is a serious sin, just as an utterance of asking God to damn someone or thing just because you might be angry. No human is perfect and according to the Bible God recognized this fault in his creation so he sent his son Jesus to earth in an attempt to teach humans how to ask for forgiveness even in the face of grave circumstances…Jesus had to die on the cross just to emphasize that idea. He also rose from death to show us that God will forgive us if we just ask.

Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy

We should take the time off from our labor to relax and view God’s work as a gift, and while we’re at it maybe we should thank the Lord for what He has provided to us.

Honor thy father and thy mother

Perhaps we should extend out this Commandment to mean that we should honor all of our ancestors, because of them we exist today.

Thou shalt not kill

To kill is to destroy God’s creation. What if every living thing has a soul within. Many Christians believe that life is created at conception. Suppose that a human is aborted that may have been destined to benefit humankind in some way, granted no one but God can tell what is to come, what I don’t understand is how someone can be so selfish as to deny all of humankind the opportunity that child may have offered.

Thou shalt not commit adultery

Perhaps our partner in our life has been planned out by our Creator for some reason we do not yet understand. I feel that we do not own our own lives; the people who love us and know us provide a great comfort to our wellbeing as well as a true purpose in our life. Love is actually magical if you pay attention. Sometimes love grows stronger when challenged by hardships or sickness or tragedy.

Thou shalt not steal; Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor; Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor’s house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbor’s wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbor’s.

People who work hard for their possessions should not lose them to thievery or those who are capable of working but chose not to.

The last three Commandments are tied together to mean that we should be happy with what we have been given or earned. We should also celebrate the successes of our fellow humans rather than envy them for their accomplishments through their own hard work.

I don’t mean to sound so presumptuous to know anything about theology or what God thinks or what his plans are, these are just my ramblings or philosophy for living the best life I can.