Health at the Crossroads

Christian Science Committee on Publication for Indiana - Media and Legislative Liaison

The Golden Rule: Choosing love over hate by Malissa Lakin Watson for the Elephant Journal

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The Golden Rule? Hm…what if someone hates you? Or what you stand for? Perhaps you’ve given in to hateful feelings yourself. How can you get past the perceived resentment, anger and fear?  Is it possible to choose love in the face of evil and hatred? My colleague, Malissa Lakin-Watson, writing for the August 10, 2017 edition of the Elephant Journal, shares some profoundly timeless wisdom from the Bible, a simple life-rule for choosing love over hate–The Golden Rule. Get ready to free yourself from this plague of hatred! Here’s Malissa: 

Looking at the news these days, it would seem that people have lost all sense of civility and how to treat one another. Discord in families, communities, and the global political landscape in general would suggest that division, hatred of “the other,” terrorism, and fear rule the day. Doing unto others as they do unto us is the “new normal.”

But civility and “loving our neighbor” is much more prevalent than it appears. When we look at day-to-day life, we do often experience small acts of kindness.

For instance: how many times has a perfect stranger opened a door for you or let you in when you were trying to merge onto the freeway? How many times have you done that for somebody? It’s interesting to note how, in the moment, we never stop to think about what political or religious affiliation someone adheres to before we decide to help. In most cases, we practice “The Golden Rule,” without even thinking about it.

The Book of Malachi in the Bible asks this question: ”Have we all not one Father, hath not one God created us? Why do we deal treacherously every man against his brother?“ The second question here is one many may be asking themselves these days. Could it be that some of our divisive thoughts and feelings stem from identifying more rigidly with personalities, political figures, or religious differences than we do with trying to understand that we are all infinitely connected…

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Ready to give by Rich Evans for the Arizona Silver Belt

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leaves smaller versionAre you ready to give? What does it mean to love your neighbor? Sometimes it’s literal: concern and compassion for those in your own circles and neighborhoods.  Sometimes it means a broader prayer for mankind. Recent news of immigrants confronting hardships as they flee war-torn areas of the world prompt us to consider our own efforts to alleviate suffering. My colleague, Rich Evans, writing for the September 23, 2015 edition of Arizona Silver Belt, shares a personal experience and some inspiration for today’s challenges in loving our neighbor. Here’s Rich:

Budapest. Munich. Bodrum. These beautiful, historic places have become symbols of unanswered global questions about our moral obligations to mankind.

This question is just as important here in the Southwestern US, as anywhere.

Seeing reports of masses of refugees fending for themselves at Keleti railway station in Hungary, having just escaped the chaos of warfare, begs many questions and demands serious thought.

“There, but for the grace of God, go I”, could be a natural response. But what is the grace of God? To me, it’s the inspired effect on human behavior of understanding God’s universal love. Such boundless grace must hold answers for each individual, oppressed or free, in conflict or at peace, in Syria or Arizona.

We could, of course, simply view these challenges as someone else’s problem. But we have a track record of doing better than that. In the 1970’s the influx of Vietnamese families torn by conflict was met with magnanimity. Many churches opened their hearts and doors to those in need. And more than just being a morally sure-footed thing to do, it was a mutual blessing.

For instance, our family….

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Love your neighbor: It’s innately natural by Anna Bowness-Park for The Times Colonist

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The Golden Rule it’s been called: Love your neighbor as yourself.  Some communities give “Good Sam”  awards to those who intervene unselfishly to help another in distress. In Indiana, since 2009, “good sam” laws have protected those who offer help to strangers. My colleague, Anna Bowness-Park, writing for the May 9, 2015 edition of the Times Colonist, reflects on the “good sams” she met on a bike trail not long ago. Here’s Anna:

There I was – flat on my back in the middle of a bike trail. Seconds before, my bike and I had suddenly parted ways, sending me flying through the air. However, I was not alone. Three young cyclists immediately stopped and sprang into action. Full of concern, one pulled out his little first aid pack and they set to work in practical and loving ways. Their natural compassion made a huge difference to me, lying there on the ground, and it was central to how I recovered from the injuries I sustained.

In pain, and feeling pretty much a mess, the one thought that really stayed with me was that these young people cared about me. We often refer to such individuals as good Samaritans.

In the universally loved Bible parable known as the Good Samaritan, Jesus was answering a question from a Jewish lawyer: “Who is my neighbour?” Jesus responded with an illustration….

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