Boundaries and Cows

This morning at church, in an introduction to the ten commandments, Pastor Katherine began discussing the craze with American flags after 9/11. She compared them to cows.

When a cow senses a predator, it begins to moo. The moo means "I'm a cow. Are there other cows around?" Other cows hear the moo and join in, congregating together until there are a big group of cows, surrounding and protecting each other in a world of danger. The moo is a symbol of identity and a call to community. So to speak. (After all, we are discussing cows)

Some are familiar with the mathematical/theological issue of bounded vs. centered set. This mumbo-jumbo is basically the question of whether our communities of faith are bound together by what is at the heart of our shared life, or the outward boundaries of what separate us from others. The 10 commandments became those boundaries for the ancient Hebrews, wandering in the wilderness, learning what it means to become the people of God.

In a patriarchal nomadic society, God's revelation of Himself became concrete in ten laws that embodied his character and His relationship with the Hebrew people. Rights and responsibilties were outlined, human dignity upheld. They must not act in ways that dishonor or mistreat one another, such as murder, theft or false testimony in court; they must honor and care for aging parents; the men who hold power in this patriarchal society must not misuse it; wives, slaves, and even livestock must never be exploited for personal satisfaction.

As powerful as they are , these laws do not function abstractly or in a vacuum. They were given to a particular people in a time and place in history, and in a covenental context. When stripped of this, they can be easily misused, such as children from abusive families being told to honor their parents despite mistreatment.

As communities also shaped by God's revelation in Jesus, we remember his summary of the law-- to love God and neighbor wholeheartedly with all the force, resources and passion we possess. His life and words and power are the center of our lives and communities of faith, drawing us in to Himself even when the outward boundaries are unclear. Even when the cows are mooing and trying to group themselves against an unknown predator, the wrangler is the one who keeps them safe.

And thus ends the spiritual lesson of cows.