Honoring Thy Father and Mother

A metaphysical interpretation

Moses with the Ten Commandments (Picture: ArtsyBee, no copyright)

Some credit the Ten Commandments in the Book of Exodus as the basis of Western culture and values. For others, it is the pronouncements of a tyrannical and fictional deity.

Such skeptics may very well agree with commandments such as “thou shalt not kill” and “neither shalt thou steal” but do not believe individuals need to hear that from a higher power; humans are social animals and would not usually kill or steal anyway.

In his The Bible is a Trilogy (2023), filmmaker Alek Gearheart posits that the “spirit” of something is the truth behind it. I appreciate this definition. The “spirit” of a law is the intent behind it, even though the text of the law might not cover every situation.

The “spirit” or truth of something is its metaphysical meaning.

Those who believe humans are, in essence, spiritual beings will see beyond the outer appearance and actions of a person to the “real” or “true” nature inside. In animal form, humans make mistakes, but our mistakes are not who we truly are. This is why non-judgment and forgiveness are taught in many religions.