Since 1995 Rob Schenck has carried with him into the halls of government the timeless words of the Ten Commandments. Through presentations of beautiful sculptures of the Great Words of Sinai, Rob has reminded top government officials that these words embody timeless truths recognized by Jews, Christians and Muslims, and recognized by virtually all other major religions. Beginning in 2009, Rob will have a lighter load. He will now bring only two commandments.

The new emphasis is built on the Great Commandments of Christ. In the Gospel of Matthew, Chapter 12, verses 28-30, it says, “And one of the scribes came up and heard them disputing with one another, and seeing that he answered them well, asked him, “Which commandment is the most important of all?” Jesus answered, “The most important is, ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your     mind and with all your strength.’”

“The two Great Commandments summarize the ten,” says Rob. “That was the point. Jesus taught the scribes that in order to obey these two they had to obey the other eight. It’s rabbinical genius.”

There is more to the meaning of the two Great Commandments, though. Rob explains you can’t rank words from God as if some are more important than others, “The two are actually equivalent to one another. Loving your neighbor is the equivalent of loving God, but you can’t truly do one without the other. The worship of God should lead to love of neighbor, and the other way around.”

Rob says he will begin presenting sculptures of the Two Great Commandments of Christ to government officials in January. Just as he did for 13 years, he will ask recipients to “display them and obey them.”