By Gonny 
We often talk about “returning to our foundations,” but there is one foundation that seems to be gathering a lot of dust lately.
It’s the Sixth Commandment (often called the Fifth in some traditions): “Thou Shalt Not Kill.”
It doesn’t say “Thou shalt not kill unless you feel unsafe.”
It doesn’t say “Thou shalt not kill unless it’s for a political cause.”
It is a clear, absolute, and universal boundary: Life is sacred. Period.
Today, we see a strange paradox. Many who claim to hold the Bible high are the same ones who feel they need a gun in every room of their house. We see people supporting wars that claim thousands of lives all while identifying as “people of God.”
Where did the fear come from?
Why has the “peace that passes all understanding” been replaced by the “security of a loaded weapon”? When we arm ourselves to the teeth, aren’t we essentially telling God that we don’t trust His protection? Aren’t we saying that our neighbor is a threat rather than a brother?
The Mirror of Faith
Whether you are a Christian, a Jew, a Moslim, a Zoroastist, a Hindoist, or a Buddhist….this commandment is not a suggestion….it is a mirror.
If we support the killing of “others” to feel safe, we have made an idol out of our own fear.
If we believe that violence is the answer to our problems, we have officially put the ego’s “law of attack” above God’s “Law of Love.”
In A Course in Miracles, we learn that “All attack is a call for help.”
Maybe it’s time we stop answering that call with more bullets and bombs. Maybe it’s time we remember that the only way to be safe is to make others feel safe.
Let’s stop looking for enemies and start looking for the Christ-light in the people we’ve been told to fear. True strength isn’t found in a holster or a missile; it’s found in the courage to remain peaceful in a world that is addicted to conflict.
“Thou Shalt Not Kill.” It’s time we started practicing it. Together.
With love and light,
G.