Maybe the great gift of God is... well... God. Maybe experiencing God to be present with us and close to us -- whether in the midst of joys or pains -- is the greatest, most wonderful-feeling gift any of us could ever hope to receive.
Read MoreWho of us comes home from work after a day of petty and infuriating inconveniences involving other people and calls their friend or turns to their spouse and says: but, really, I was the one who made this day so hard for them? Probably none of us... But might we get more out of life learning to tell a more balanced story of ourselves and our lives? God inspired the Ancient Israelite authors of the Book of Exodus in just such a way...
Read MoreFrom the chaotic and unsure standpoint of the suddenly-freed-from-Egyptian-slavery Hebrew people, the Ten Commandments was the most compassionate and revolutionary offer of guidance that anyone could have asked for. But what really shows us the enduring helpfulness of the Ten Commandments -- even today! -- is the perspective on them Jesus would add.
Read MoreDr. King once said "The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice". And that's a pretty great summary of the Book of Exodus' hopeful message about God's response to the things that oppress - whether societally or even internally.
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