There are many ways to kill another human besides killing the body. Do we really believe this commandment refers ONLY to killing the body?? We are not naive.
Seems some people can get pleasure out of crushing and killing the Spirit of another human. Have you ever felt like you killed the Spirit of another human being? May be you did not even realize what you were doing.
May be someone has killed another's Spirit with a most eloquently placed sarcastic comment at just the right moment in front of just the right people. It is possible to witness a person crushed in a brief moment. Thou shalt not kill.
Some have perhaps killed another's Spirit with retaliation of some kind for an unintentional word or deed they received. Thou shalt not kill.
May be you have not killed another human's body, but have you said or done anything that has killed another's Spirit? (There are much more darker ways to kill another human's Spirit as well, but I am not going there today.)
I have asked God for forgiveness and feel penitent for my own transgressions. I am doing my best to make amends where I am able. I have also done my best to forgive those who have transgressed against me. I forgive myself.
There are so many ways we humans can kill the Spirit of other humans.
Jesus says that the 1st and 2nd commandments are to love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and love your neighbor as yourself.
Thankfully, we already have the Grace of God. It is finished. God was willing. It is done. Jesus Christ's atonement is for body, mind, soul and spirit. We can ask for forgiveness and submit our will to his Will. If we are willing, His Grace will do its good work in us and make us white as snow. It is not by our works, though, so no one can boast. He will even help us do the needed changing within ourselves if we will let him. It is a free gift from a merciful God who understood that we cannot be Holy without Him.
1 Cor 13:1
If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal.
******************
Thank you for reading! If you enjoyed this, please feel free to share this with others. Copyright © Terrie Harmer, August 16, 2022