"The ten commandments are part of a story, a story of slaves being set free and learning -- or not learning -- to live like free people. Quite often, during their time in the wilderness, the people of Israel complained -- about the food or the lack of it, about the water or the lack of it, about the threats from enemies, real or imagined. And often the complaint ended with the cry, “Things were..."
Fr. Colin Carr. "Frightening Freedom." Torch. March 19, 2006