Thou Shalt Not Kill

“Thou shalt not kill”

I think most people take this fairly literally, meaning murder, do not take someone’s live. However, when I was in school and learning about the Ten Commandments I was taught that reading between the lines in the Bible can go an awfully long way to have a life you are proud of. 

We were taught that this meant killing things through bullying, through anger, hate, rage, fear. Killing someone’s hopes and dreams, ending a relationship or marriage for our own amusement is all a way to break this commandment. You do not need to physically end a life to kill someone spiritually, to degrade them and injure them emotionally until they are broken or spiritually dead. 

I am not sure why this part of my religion class stuck with me. Maybe because I had been bullied, maybe because it was true, or maybe just so I could write about it today. So many things cross my mind when I hear these words. Like most of the Biblical teachings it is definitely one that needs to be taken literally and applied metaphorically to everyday situations as well.

I doubt I have ever met a person who has never killed something inside of someone one way or another, intentional or not, legal or not. I am sure we have all done it without thinking, just like we have all had it done to us. I doubt it will take much thought for anyone to recall a specific moment when they changed who they were because of ridicule or disrespect or even fear. 

This isn’t a crash course in religion, because let’s face it most people could care less about what the bible teaches. This is about treating everyone with respect, regardless of whom or what they are or represent. I don’t care if you are inside out and backwards you deserve to be treated the way I want to be treated. You deserve to be given opportunity, love –unconditionally, encouragement in your endeavors. 

I am going to keep this short today and end it by asking everyone who reads this to not only think of a time where they killed some spark within someone else and I am going to lastly as you to acknowledge a time where you killed something within yourself. Without understanding where we go wrong, we have no way to become better. Look in the mirror and face that bad so the good within each of you can shine through.