The Golden Rule

“Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”

Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ 

                           Matthew 22:36-39

So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets

                           Matthew 7:12

Before I start, I want to share that I have started and stopped writing this devotional a couple of times over the past week. I have agonized over the message to ensure that it is coming from the Lord and not from my heart or thoughts. If there is any Laura that eked through, I ask your forgiveness for that.

I am shell shocked over the events that have taken place in our nation over the last two weeks, a condition exacerbated by the state of the worldwide pandemic and its impact on people close to me (my husband’s job loss) and those afar (the close-to 400,000 deaths (as of June 7) from COVID-19) over the past couple of months. My heart is broken for the pain of it all.

As I have written before, I am not one to normally comment on social media, mostly due to two things: I am afraid to get into an argument with someone who may be more well versed in the topic and I am loathe to really rock the boat with people. I know my beliefs, and I am comfortable in them, and don’t feel the need to bash people over the head with them.

On Facebook, I have friends that are on both ends of the political spectrum, and I admit that there are some whose political rhetoric have made me snooze them (basically, not have their Facebook posts come up in my newsfeed), basically because I’m too much of a people pleaser to unfriend them. However, some of the posts that both sides have shared have been quite thought-provoking, from the ones that cite the example of Jesus turning over the money changers’ tables in Matthew 21 as an endorsement of protesting to the ones that defend actions taken by police to clear out protesters in front of St. John’s church in what has been painted as Trump’s bible photo op. Which stance is the correct one?

My mind is most happy when the world in which I operate is black and white—at work, when expectations and goals are clearly defined and boundaries given—boy howdy, watch me go! I can knock it out of the park. Throw me into an environment in which there are 73 different shades of grey, and I will admit that I struggle.

My heart, however, can see the 73 different shades of grey when it comes to people and situations. I acknowledged, albeit quietly, Colin Kaepernick’s (and others) peaceful protest of taking a knee during the National Anthem while appreciating the anger from those who felt it disrespectful. I agreed with those who quoted Romans 13:1(submitting to established governing authorities) to denounce illegal immigration but agreed also with those who quoted Matthew 25:43 (“I was a stranger and you did not invite me in…”) to demonstrate our responsibility to those less fortunate than us.  

I can totally identify with those latest rounds of Facebook memes that show Venn diagrams with three circles with “Me” in the middle; one is about COVID-19: “People taking COVID-19 seriously, people concerned about impending economic devastation, and people worried about expansion of authoritarian government policies”. Another about current events: “Outraged by George Floyd’s death, supports good cops, and does not condone looting and rioting.” The same tagline is on both: “it’s okay to be all three”. That is where I am, on both accounts.

I don’t know what stance the Lord is asking me to take on any of these topics—heck, I don’t even know if I am supposed to take a stance. But here is what I do know, and it came to me through prayer this morning: I don’t have to figure all of this out; I am simply supposed to love people. I am supposed to love my neighbor as I love myself, living the Golden Rule like Jesus told us to do in Matthew 7, regardless of my neighbor’s skin color, belief system, sexual orientation, whether or not they like the Dallas Cowboys—regardless of any of that and more. That is pretty black and white to understand, albeit challenging at times to do. I’m thankful for the presence of the Holy Spirit to help enable me to do so.

Prayer Requests

·      For our nation to return to the Lord

·      For unity and peace instead of division and chaos

·      For the ability to love as Jesus loves and extend grace like Almighty God does

·      For pastors and leaders in the church, as church buildings reopen

A pastor friend of mine posted this message on Facebook with the Matthew 7:12 verse: “Imagine how different our nation and world would be right now if Christians not only knew this rule, but actually lived it out. Today, in the midst of such challenging times, let's embrace this high calling on our lives. Let's make a GODly (sic) difference in this world one relationship at a time. Remember, the change you can control is the change in you!”

Quotes

“If Christ didn’t come to condemn the world, it’s probably not our job either.”

“The strongest people are not those who show strength in front of us, but those who win battles we know nothing about.”