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Series: The Ten Commandments
The Tenth Commandment:
Thou Shall Not Covet: Pursuing False Union

Exodus 20:17, NRSV
Philippians 4:10-13, NRSV

Reflections

Of the seven deadly sins, only envy is no fun at all

— Joseph Epstein
from his essay “The Green-Eyed Monster”

  • Happiness is Love — and $75,000
  • Having enough, but hungry for more
  • What does it mean to covet, over-desire, distorted-desire
  • Paul says it is not to be detached, to give up desire, in order to be content
  • We are victim of culture that we help created, culture of consumerism
  • “Being Consumed: Economics and Christian Desire”
    • More status, more money, more sex, more travel
    • “The key to economic prosperity is the organized creation of dissatisfaction.” In 1929 Charles F. Kettering, director of GM
    • “He has a daily beauty in his life, that makes me ugly” from Shakespeare’s Othello
    • “Because our consumption can take us anywhere, we are nowhere in particular.”
  • To be content
    • not attachment, but rapid engagement
    • we can pray, to pray for power of God to guard our heart, our mind
    • slow down, learn to look at one place deeply, watch your pace, watch your community, be patience
    • simplify your life, this is where freedom is found

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