The 2nd Amendment...and the 2nd Commandment

There's much talk today about the second amendment but not so much talk about the second commandment.

When we speak of the second commandment there are actually two ways we can go in conversation:

1. The second commandment in the 10 Commandments reads: "Thou shalt not make for thyself any graven images." We're talking here about idolatry, anything to which we bow down, anyone for whom we make sacrifices that should be reserved for God, any past-time that displaces the Lord or subverts His authority in our lives.
2. The "second is like it" commandment Jesus identifies in Matthew 22 when asked to name the first and greatest commandment. After recognizing the Shema as first and greatest - loving the Lord your God with all your heart, mind and strength, Jesus adds, "and the second is like it: love your neighbor as yourself."

Bob is a Christian. He loves God and he loves his country. But in a conversation recently it became apparent to both of us that the second amendment was infringing on the second commandment in both its forms. Through conversation he came to see that he had a made an idol of his right to bear arms and had lost sight of his responsibility to bear love to his neighbor. Bob repented of both his idolatry and his lack of love - and he retained his second amendment right, just in proper relationship to the first amendment and the second commandment.

With great freedoms come great responsibilities. As people charged with cultivating a culture of righteousness, we must remember that we cannot have the second amendment without both versions of the second commandment.