Mornings are weird times for me. I don't mean mornings as in nine to noon. No, I'm referring more to the moments between dragging myself out of bed and getting out of the shower. I guess my brain is trying to right itself after being horizontal for the last few hours, or it's trying to sort dreams from actual memories, or maybe it's just freaking out a bit because today just became yesterday and tomorrow just became today - I don't know. But I think a lot in those moments, and honestly, it's not always pleasant (no one will ever accuse me of being a morning person, trust me).

Sometimes, like today, it can be a little intriguing, though. When it comes to god and the Bible, I am no fundamentalist. But neither am I liberal - some of the things those guys come up with just stretch the limits of rational thought too far for me. Still, I have often considered - and stated my belief that - God is not contained by the Bible. The Bible tells us things about Him, but does not, and can not, define Him. God is bigger than the Bible, and if you extrapolate that concept out further, accepting God as a pre-existent, eternal being, God is bigger than time.

The thing is, the Bible describes God through the eyes of - and using the terms and references of - civilizations that have been dust for centuries. God, in His nature, is unchanging, but the world we live in is not, and just as God is bigger than our perceptions and terms of recognition, so, also would He have been bigger than the perceptions and terms of those archaic civilizations. My point is that God is just as comfortable in the 'now' as He was in the 'then.' He's not surprised by it, He doesn't struggle with any generation gap, He's just as present now as He was then, and this period in history is just as valid to Him as that one was.

Now, at this point, there are plenty of modern-day "theologians" that would use that train of thought to reinterpret scripture in some pretty irresponsible ways, but that's not where I'm going. I was just thinking all this through in the shower and wondered what the Ten Commandments would sound like had they been given today, in this culture. For instance:

1. "Thou shalt have no other Gods before me."
That could be rephrased as "There is only one God, and I'm it. If you put your faith in anything other than me, it will ultimately fail you every time, so just don't."

2. "Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image."
I hear this one along the lines of "If you make an idol out of stone or clay, then all you're really putting your hope in is rocks and dirt. See commandment one..."

3. "Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain."
"I am God, and you really need to keep that in perspective. My name is not just another word to be tossed about, nor should you claim affiliation with Me lightly - you may fool them, but you won't fool me. Show some respect."

4. "Remember the Sabbath Day and keep it Holy."
Take a day to slow down and purposefully remember who I am and what I've done, and all that that means and implies. One day out of seven is not asking a lot.

5. "Honor thy father and mother."
Your parents have experienced more life than you, so listen to them. They invested a good chunk of their lives into yours, so be thankful. You represent them in the world, so don't do things that would shame them. It's pretty straight forward...

6. "Thou shalt not kill."
Don't murder anyone. I gave them life, and you do not have the right to steal what I have given.

7. "Thou shalt not commit adultery."
Don't do anything to destroy the trust and respect in the marriage relationship. I made people for relationship, and the marriage relationship is a particularly special one in my eyes. It is an exchange of trust between two souls, and further, it represents my commitment to those who come to me. Treat it accordingly.

8. "Thou shalt not steal."
If it's not yours, leave it alone. Either learn to be content with what you have, or to work for what you want. Either option will be of far more value in the long run than anything you can just walk up and take.

9. "Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor."
Don't lie. It cheapens life, and it cheapens you. I am the author of all truth, and if a lie falls from your lips, it did not come from me. Consider the options.

10. "Thou shalt not covet."
Don't waste time and energy brooding about what others have and what you don't. That's focusing on things, not people. Life isn't about what you own, anyway - you'll have to leave it all behind eventually...

So, I didn't actually intend to do all ten, but there they are. Might be fun to re-imagine other scriptural concepts in modern terms, like Satan tempting Christ in the wilderness. What would he tempt Jesus with? Fame? Gourmet food? Political power? Hmmm...

Honestly, although it's a bit of a tangent, I've also often wondered about why God chose to send Christ at that particular period in time, into that particular area. I've heard some intriguing discussions on that thought. Wonder what it would have looked like if God had waited until now? Maybe I'll save that for another blog...