Do to others whatever you would like them to do to you. This is the essence of all that is taught in the law and the prophets. [Matthew 7:12 (NLT)]
This is the sum of duty: do not do to others what would cause pain if done to you. (Hinduism: Mahabharata)
Hurt not others in ways that you yourself would find hurtful. (Buddhism: Udanavarga)
In “Baby Blues,” drawn by Rick Kirkman and Jerry Scott, the mother discovers Zoe, the bossy big sister, putting salt in her little brother Hammie’s milk. “What about the golden rule?” she asks her daughter. “I am following the golden rule!” Zoe responds, “Do unto brothers before they do unto you!” Having endured my share of brotherly aggravation, I sympathize with Zoe. Hoping to beat him to the punch, there were times I’d yell, “Mom, Steve’s hitting me again!” even before he managed to make a fist. “Do unto brothers before they do unto you,” however, isn’t what Jesus said; Zoe’s mother wisely says, “Let’s go read that again.”
Like Zoe, non-Christians tend to have a somewhat cynical view of life—do unto others before they can do to you. Of course, many also have another golden rule—whoever has the gold makes the rules. Neither interpretation is what Jesus had in mind when he gave us what has become known as the “golden rule” (although that term is found nowhere in Scripture).
This “golden rule” reflects the very character of God—His benevolent heart and grace regardless of whether or not it is deserved. We, in turn, are to mirror His love—a love that is not based on reciprocity but rather on God’s unconditional regard for all of mankind. Instead of looking out for the other guy only because we expect him to stab us in the back, we look out for the other guy out of love for him and obedience to God.
Many Eastern religions have a similar command regarding how to treat others. There is, however, a subtle but major difference between their philosophy not to do to others what we don’t want done to us and Jesus’s command. Jesus tells us it’s not enough to refrain from negative behavior; we are to act in a positive way to everyone. It’s not enough not to hurt someone; we are expected to act in love to everyone (even our enemies). Sorry Zoe: that even applies to troublesome little brothers!
When Hurricane Irma uprooted trees here last September, the underground irrigation pipes throughout our 1,800 home community were wrenched out of the soil and the lines ruptured. Trees and stumps had to be removed before the process of finding and fixing the leaks could begin and we went more than seven months without irrigation. What with winter and spring’s hotter than average temperatures, receiving about half of our average rainfall since November, and no working irrigation system in our community, the once lush green grass became dry and brown, the flowers wilted, and the parched soil got hard. The only things that seemed to thrive were the weeds! Fortunately, the repairs were completed last week, the summer rain eventually will arrive, and our grass, shrubbery and trees will recover.
Imagine the anguish of the woman with the blood disorder. Because Levitical law declared that anyone who touched her would be considered unclean, she’d been cut off from friends and family for twelve years. Sexual union would defile her husband so she couldn’t marry and, if she’d been married, her husband would have divorced her. Because her defilement would spread to anything she touched (be it food, cups or cushions), she was isolated in her own home. While the anemia, pain, stress, and public humiliation she endured because of her disorder must have been awful, perhaps the agony of being a pariah and unable to physically connect with people was even worse. It was her responsibility to make sure she didn’t defile others by touching them so she shouldn’t have been anywhere near a crowd. She certainly shouldn’t have touched a man (or his clothing) and could have been severely punished for her previously action. No wonder she tried to sneak unnoticed through the crowd to touch Jesus’ robe.
Upon retirement, many people consider their productive years over. Having been a CEO in a major corporation, a friend’s father felt worthless without his corporate identity. Prior to retirement, he could call any number of powerful people and get a meeting simply because of his position but, without his title, he felt like a nonentity. His previous business triumphs couldn’t sustain him and he saw no victories in the future. Unfortunately, many seniors who found their identity in their career, corporate title or paycheck are at loose ends when retirement comes along. Some of my friends who were homemakers aren’t much different from those in the business world. It’s just that they found their identity in motherhood and their self-esteem in their children’s achievements. Now, with an empty nest and adult children living their own lives far away, they feel unnecessary. Like my friend’s father, they are looking back at who and what they’ve been rather than forward to who and what they can be.
Last month, my husband and I attended a “Sweetheart” dinner at church. The men were in charge of the entire event and there were a few rough spots in the night. Then again, at the risk of being accused of political incorrectness or gender bias, most of the men probably were novices at that kind of event planning. Unlike the men, we women have had decades of organizing (and attending) school parties, PTA fund raisers, charity galas, birthday parties, showers, weddings, anniversary bashes, and other assorted celebrations. In spite of the glitches, there was much that went right and the evening was enjoyable and entertaining. Unfortunately, the woman sitting beside me kept criticizing how things were done—from name tags and table assignments to flowers and dessert. Her nit-picking comments became as annoying as the yapping of a bad-tempered dog and I thought of a bumper sticker I’d recently seen: “Wag More, Bark Less!”
