The 6th Commandment

“You shall not commit adultery.” Exodus 20:14

“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I say to you, everyone who looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart.” Mt 5:27-28

The 6^th commandment is not just some arbitrary rule that is imposed on you. Rather, it’s a prescription of how to live your best life. To practice the virtue of temperance is to live a chaste life. A life where you are not dominated by thoughts and actions of sex. You’ll be miserable if you hop from bar to bar, looking for a one-night stand. A meaningless life, dominated by sex will never be enough to fill the emptiness you will feel.

Imagine the scene, where the young man is enticed by the beautiful woman. She beckons for him and he resists because he loves another. Finally, the young man has a change of expression and one of determination and succumbs to his desires. Men and women have a choice, to master their passions or be enslaved to them. You can live a life of free choice or you can be moved by blind impulses.

Let’s say in the example above, the young man succumbs to his desires and is unfaithful, but his young bride never finds out. Is it ok then? There are two issues with this thought and first and foremost, is that nothing you do is unseen to the Lord. Nothing will go unpunished in a sinful life. The second is that you, yourself, know of your unfaithfulness. Even if you can’t express it, you know that you’ve failed. The demons in your head are in and they will continue to whisper to you, louder and louder; you are not free, but enslaved to the master of lies. Only through the sacrament of reconciliation and repentance can you find your burden eased.

In baptism, we are all called to live a chaste life. A life of chastity is a life of mastery over self and allows you to appreciate the integrity of another rather than reducing a person to their sexual function. The 6^th commandment is not just about NOT committing adultery, but rather, its about loving one’s neighbor. The commandment is about the integrity of the person.

Not too often do you hear of the word chastity or chase other than as part of some joke (think chastity belt). Much like how today, we hear pride as a good thing to have, but when the good is bad (chase) and the bad is good (pride) do we know the devil is at work trying to trick us. “Chasity means the successful integration of sexuality within the person and thus the inner unity of man in his bodily and spiritual being.” CCC2337. When you are free from the desire, you can know yourself better, live a better and holy life and have a better relationship with your God, who loves you.

In the 6^th commandment, at first, you see quiet simply that you must be faithful to your spouse. As you dig more, you come to realize that the 6^th commandment is about, once again, love. It’s about the respect and integrity you must acknowledge about your fellow man. As we are drawn more and more closely to God and His love, we can live both a moral and free life but also an unflappable life in knowing God’s love always wins out.

Thank you for reading this blog today! God bless!

Hallelujah – The Song by Cohen

Hallelujah – Leonard Cohen

I first heard the song Hallelujah while watching Shrek. I know, but that’s when I heard it first, and immediately, I loved it. I assumed it was a song about faith and God’s love. Wow, I was wrong. I’ll admit, I’m a lyrics guy. I want to know what the lyrics are and what they mean. I’ve researched the song by Leonard Cohen and remain baffled. It goes to show you, that religion fascinates many an intelligent person, but intelligence is not enough to grasp religion and faith.

First, if you’re going to sing Hallelujah, assume your listeners are going to think religion. Its not just a nice word, Hallelujah, it means an expression of worship or rejoicing. Often, this word means praising God. Cohen uses it to express sex, apparently what he worships and put first before the Lord our God. It would ALMOST be fine that Cohen uses the word in Hallelujah if he didn’t wrap in biblical references.

The first 2 verses are clearly a reference to David and Bathsheba although Cohen starts referencing Samson and Delilah. Either way, neither are enviable or admiral romances.

The first verse is:

Now, I’ve heard there was a secret chord
That David played, and it pleased the Lord
But you don’t really care for music, do you?
It goes like this, the fourth, the fifth
The minor fall, the major lift
The baffled king composing hallelujah

Cohen seems to suggest that David found some magical secret chord that God was wowed by. Ha!

When David danced before God, it was in reckless abonnement of pure joy for God. He was not baffled. His wife Michal was jealous that David danced naked before all including the Ark of the Covenant (God) and chastised him for his actions, but David responds, “I was dancing before the Lord” Sam 2:21. Michal is struck barren for her evil jealously and perverting David’s intentions.

These actions by David don’t appear to show him as baffled, as Cohen suggest.

The next verse starts that David needed proof (assumingly that God existed?).

Here is Cohen’s verse lines:

Your faith was strong but you needed proof
You saw her bathing on the roof
Her beauty and the moonlight overthrew ya

Clearly, David does not sleep with a married woman out of his need to prove God’s existence? Here are the Biblical lines in question:

“From the roof, he (David) saw a woman bathing, who was very beautiful. David had inquiries made about the woman and was told, “She is Bathsheba, daughter of Eliam, and the wife of Uriah the Hittite. Then David sent messengers and took her. When she came to him, he had relations with her.” Sam 2:2-4.

There are suggestions in this song that Bathsheba seduced him, but David is far from innocent and clearly, seems to be the one doing the taking here! David is a flawed man and he sins here. This is not a high point for David and he pays dearly with the Lord God taking the life of his son he sires with Bathsheba; it should be noted that David has Uriah, Bathsheba’s husband, killed in battle to cover up for his sin. When we turn from God through grievous sin, we pay a price. People like to pretend that sin is no big deal but the Bible suggests different; God allows us to feel the effects of sin, and those effects are not nothing. When we travel far from the protection of the Lord, the Devil can get you, as it does with King David.

Here is the end of the song:

She tied you to a kitchen chair
She broke your throne, and she cut your hair
And from your lips she drew the hallelujah

Hallelujah
Hallelujah
Hallelujah
Hallelujah

You say I took the name in vain
I don’t even know the name
But if I did, well really, what’s it to you?
There’s a blaze of light in every word
It doesn’t matter which you heard
The holy or the broken hallelujah

Hallelujah
Hallelujah
Hallelujah
Hallelujah

I did my best, it wasn’t much
I couldn’t feel, so I tried to touch
I’ve told the truth, I didn’t come to fool you
And even though it all went wrong
I’ll stand before the lord of song
With nothing on my tongue but hallelujah

I like a song about a bad break up or a romance gone wrong. I like a song that deals with pain. I like a song that is raw and emotional. Cohen’s song is romance gone wrong, standing before the Lord our God stinking of sin and shoving it in His loving face (I’ll stand before the lord of song) in defiance. Stand before the Lord, stinking of sin, and scream – have Mercy. Scream, forgive me! Scream, Help Me! Never scream, I did it, deal with it! God will allow you to feel the effects of sin right here on earth – and possibly after death too!

I think Cohen’s point is, he had a relationship and he did it all wrong and in the end, he stood before the Lord and said Rejoice (Hallelujah)! I think he’s trying to suggest, he did just like King David or Sampson, but he misses that those two didn’t do well at these points in their lives, paid dearly and repented, receiving God’s mercy. King David and Sampson were not proud of their sins, but Cohen seems to be in this song.

I don’t care for a song that tries to warp a Biblical story into a justification for their own horribleness. The message of the Bible is ALWAYS Good News. The story of David and Sampson is Good News but not if you misinterpret it. See David’s sin, see what happens, see David repenting and see the forgiveness of God.

See the Goodness of the Lord! He is there – scream the right words to Him!

God Bless!

Familiarity breeds Contempt

I have heard the statement that familiarity breeds contempt and it got me to thinking about some of my own relationships. I have been married for over 15 years and I love my wife more today than I did when we were married. I also have close friends in town that we will vacation with from time to time and often spend Friday nights drinking beer and eating pizza while our kids run around and play.

I do not appreciate the statement, familiarity breeds contempt. It should be stated that if you believe that familiarity breeds contempt, you’ll never be close to anyone, and the devil would have won, isolating you from loving deeply those you know.

We do bicker from time to time but we’re committed, all of us. My wife and I are committed to each other. My good friends are committed to us as we are to them. We know we’re not perfect and we’re ok with that imperfection.

We forgive and we are forgiven.

I prefer this expression: I love my wife and my friends, warts and all! I even told my friends, what I cherish the most is that we’re friends, through thick and thin.

On a deeper level, Christ calls us to love each other to the point where it hurts and He goes on to say, it will be worth it! There is no greater love than to lay one’s life down for another. While you don’t have to jump in front of a train for another you can do things for another for selfless reasons. If dying for another is the highest form of love (love is good) then helping others is great.

With your friends, spouse and those around you, tell yourself, I’m all in with this person. No matter what, I’m going to care for this person. Unless something drastic happens, commit! Be there for those you care for, don’t let contempt creep in.

Jesus states we should love God with all our heart and related to that first law is to love your neighbor. To love God is to love your neighbor.

I care for my wife. Does she need a ride somewhere – I’m in. Will I clean up around the house – I will, even knowing if I don’t, she will. If she’s hungry, I’ll cook for her. When she needs me, I’m there, even if it’s not easy. If she’s sick, I will still love her and care for her. If she needs me, I’ll be there.

With my friends, I’m here for them. Need a couch moved – I’ll be over. Need someone to walk your dog while you’re away – I’m in. Need to complain over a beer – I’m there. If we fight over something stupid like politics, that’s ok, I still care for them. Forgiveness is just a step away.

Familiarity breeds contempt for those that aren’t willing to go deep for their friends and their companions. Commit yourself for others and you’ll find that familiarity will breed a lasting and joyful life! God Bless!