The Golden Rule
The Golden Rule is a basic principle attributed to Jesus in his preaching in the Sermon on the Mount. It is found in the Gospel of Matthew 7:12: “In everything do to others as you would have them do to you; for this is the law and the prophets.” This principle is also found in Luke 6:31.The golden rule is a moral imperative for all people, as well as for us Christians who have committed ourselves to following Jesus and confessing to carry him in our hearts as our Lord. Practicing the Golden Rule is an invitation to exercise empathy, to put myself in the place of the other, even if they seem different from me. That means recognizing that I must love my neighbor because that neighbor is like myself. The other person also feels, laughs, cries, thinks, suffers, dreams, aspires and desires as I do. Every human being is my fellow human being, regardless of nationality, gender, sexual orientation, religion, socioeconomic status, skin color, age, and many other labels that we can put on them. We are all unique and unrepeatable, and we are created in the image and likeness of God.
At the time of Jesus, there were some beliefs that made some people look less valuable than others in the eyes of society based on some religious grounds. Like, for example, to be a woman was a disadvantage. There was a prayer of ancient origin that said, “Blessed are you, Lord our God, Sovereign of the Universe, who has not made me a woman.” However, God’s answer in the person of Jesus Christ is totally different. Jesus was the best friend of women, and he was surrounded by women, just as he was the best friend of every person rejected and despised by the society of that time, including the poor and the sick. Although two thousand years have passed, the rejection of many human groups in some way still continues, such as women, members of the LGBTQ+ community, immigrants, the poor, the sick, and others. Therefore, we must courageously stand up for and follow the teachings of Jesus. Let us remember that He reaffirms to us that every person is loved and valued by God for being His most beautiful creation. Therefore, we must treat others by seeing the divine reflection of God’s creation in each person. This seems simple, but it implies our effort, because it is difficult for us to practice the golden rule without first putting ourselves in the other person’s shoes and practicing empathy. There is a saying that “no one knows with what need the other lives.” So, dear siblings, let us always be kind, loving, and empathetic with others. Let us remember that we are also vulnerable, we share this life in one existential drop, in the blink of an eye, we are babies, and with another blink, we have already grown old. It is very nice when we feel treated with love, so let us do the same to those around us. Let that be our golden rule. Rev. Israel Portilla-Gómez (He/him/his) is Associate Rector at St. Mary’s Episcopal Church. 2222 E Tudor Rd, Anchorage, AK 99507. [email protected]. (907) 563-3341. Ext. 13. |