I've been thinking about the 10 Commandments as the gracious gifts from God that they are.

Nearly every one includes a negative, a "You shall not'; and that's what's most famous about the Commandments. In fact, for a great many people in our culture, the whole idea that they have to act in a certain way because God commands them not to do something is hopelessly old fashioned. But the point of the Commandments is not to put us in some sort of religious strait jacket. They are, instead, teachings of how best to center our lives in the God who made us, and to treat others with love.

For instance, there's Commandment #8 (the hardest one to follow, I think): "You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor." To translate into today's language: You shall not tell lies about another person. In Luther's teaching, though, that negative injunction pales in significance when compared to what the Commandment is telling us to do (positive). Luther teaches: "Instead, we are to come to their [other peoples'] defense, speak well of them, and interpret everything they do in the best possible light." How hard (impossible?) that is to do! What an explosion of love and grace and mercy there would be among human beings if we lived that way!

Similarly, there is Commandment #5, "You shall not murder." Luther teaches that that means we are to "help and support them [other people] in all of life's needs." Commandment #7, "You shall not steal," means, according to Luther, that we are to "help them [other people] improve and protect their property and income."

Imagine what would be the effect of human beings living according to these teachings! What we pray for each week in worship would come true. The kingdom of God would come on earth, purely and simply.

Of course, there's one of the most famous Commandments, #6: "You shall not commit adultery." Luther teaches that this Commandment is a positive instruction: "We are to fear and love God, so that we lead pure and decent lives in word and deed, and each of us loves and honors his or her spouse."

Think of the implications of this one!

For instance, in the article in today's Daily Press with the headline, "Edwards comes clean over affair with worker," we learn that yes, indeed, John Edwards did in fact have an affair with Rielle Hunter, a woman who was making a film about his campaign for president, in 2006 (while Edwards was posing as the husband that every woman wished she had). But, Edwards emphasized, he is not the father of the baby that Ms. Hunter bore on February 27, as the National Enquirer alleges. In fact, according to this morning's article: "Andrew Young, a married, longtime Edwards aide, has said he fathered the child with Hunter."

(This whole thing is so bizarre that it must be true.)

So, let's see, we have two marriages and families and reputations greatly damaged if not destroyed: Mr. Edwards' and Mr Young's. (Ms. Hunter, one could assume, will come out ahead, after she writes her book.)

But what if. What if each person enjoyed God’s wondrous gift of sexuality according to that sixth Commandment: "Each person shall only have sex with the person he or she is married to." I wonder how much of the emotional violence and destruction that human beings inflict and suffer would then be prevented?

Do you suppose 50%?

75%?