Daily Devotion for Lent 2024, Day 29

“In everything do to others as you would have them do to you, for this is the Law and the Prophets."

                                                                        Matthew 7:12 (NRSVue)

I believe that I may have first learned about the Golden Rule in Kindergarten rather than church.  It could have been either and was likely enhanced by learning it in both places.

Understanding the Golden Rule is important for moral development across our society.  I've heard that our educational system in the United States used to do more with moral development but has moved away from this through the years - possibly because this is seen as less objective knowledge.  We don't want our children to be "indoctrinated."  

Being kind to one another and seeing things from another's perspective should be universal.

Norman Rockwell seemed to think so.  His painting shown here was on the cover of the Saturday Evening Post on April 1, 1961.

You'll notice the variety of people represented.  This was because he saw the Golden Rule or something very like it spanning the world's religions.  In a scratch pad, he had written the following:

Buddhism: Hurt not others with that which pains yourself.
Hinduism: Do naught to others which if done to thee would cause thee pain.
Taoism: Regard your neighbor’s gain as your own gain and regard your neighbor’s loss as your own loss.
Judaism: What is hurtful to yourself do not to your fellow man.
Islam: No one of you is a believer until he loves for his brother what he loves for himself.
Christianity: So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them.

As we pursue interfaith relations, the Golden Rule could possibly be a wonderful starting point.  As Wesleyans, we would say that God's preceding or prevenient grace, active throughout the world, inspired people in different regions, in different faiths, to come to this truth.   

It is interesting that Matthew identifies this summarizing the work of the Law and the Prophets.  He does this again in 22:40 after Jesus reveals the Great Commandment of loving God and loving our neighbors as we love ourselves.  Jesus then states here, "On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets."

Love, perspective, respect.  

Those sound like ideals that we should not only retain but pass along to the next generation.  

Prayer for the day:  Gracious God, help me to first see others.  Let me see them not as I would look at first glance with my biases.  But help me to see them as you would see them.  And as I find this new sight, may this color my response as well.  Help me to have the strength to offer dignity to all I meet.  I pray these things in the name of the Christ who was scourged.  Amen.

Photo of "Golden Rule" by Norman Rockwell, 1961 by Helena via Flickr.com.   Used under the Creative Commons license.

New Revised Standard Version, Updated Edition. Copyright © 2021 National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.