The Golden Rule
"Treat others as you would like them to treat you."
Luke 6:31, The Living Bible
I find that we say and hear the Golden Rule quite often. I also find that putting it into action is not easy.
"Treat others as you would like them to treat you. If you love, those who love you, what thanks can you expect? Even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who do good to you, what thanks can you expect? For even sinners do as much. And if you lend to those you hope to receive, what thanks can you expect? Even sinners lend to sinners to get back the same amount. Instead, love your enemies and do good to those who hate you, lend without any hope of return. You will have a great reward and you be children of the most High, for He Himself is kind to the ungrateful and the wicked." (Luke 6:31-35)
These are hard sayings and we often fail to act on them, but God is the model for compassion: He is kind to the ungrateful and to the wicked (v.35); He is forgiving instead of judging and He is generous when there is no obvious reason to be so. As God’s children, we are called to model the same kind of compassion toward others. We mirror this in the way that we interact with and treat other people—just as God has been merciful to us.
As humans, we enjoy a certain optimism. All would be well, we suppose, if only everyone were like us: the same religion, nationality, color, educational status, social standing and political persuasion. This would surely make it easier to love all people, even our neighbor, but when differences intrude, that is another matter. It can be challenging to get along with people who are different from us, but our Lord admonishes us to show compassion and love toward others, even those who don't like us. This is the first step in treating them the way we would like to be treated. This is God's design for human relationships—to overcome our differences and to live as true children of God our Father in heaven.
Let us pray, O God, the Father of all, whose Son commanded us to love our enemies: Lead them and us from prejudice to truth; deliver them and us from hatred, cruelty, and revenge; and in your good time enable us to stand reconciled before you; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.[1]
[1] Carl G. Carlozzi, Prayers for Pastor & People. Church Pension Fund, New York.
