The Golden Rule

 God it is beyond description, it is the subject of our imagination and searching for explanation of how the universe came into existence, what it is and our place in it. Humanity's enquiry has elicited some understanding of the universe but can we comprehend its vastness? I cannot even begin to provide an answer to the God question. I know my mortality: soon enough I shall die,  and then what?  

So I turn from the unknown and direct my energies to consideration of and campaigning on concrete issues: combating poverty, deprivation, racism, misogyny, marginalisation, discrimination and exclusion, not only at point of need but also campaigning for systemic change to achieve social justice. In this endeavour the way of life concepts attributed to Jesus in the synoptic gospels together with ideas developed by Liberation Theology theologians such as Gustavo Gutiérrez and Jurgen Moltmann have been the major influences on my thinking and action.

Christians do not have a monopoly of the principle 'love your neighbour'.  Worldwide similar expressions of desired behaviour are to be found in a broad range of faiths, as well as in the secular world. The principle known as the Golden Rule, promotes a high standard of ethical behaviour.  It is a consequence of my background, experience etc that I approach the Golden Rule from a Christian perspective.

In Matthew  7:12 we read:

     'In everything, do to others what you would have them do to you.'

This principle may be construed in a number of ways:

It is a positive statement of how we should behave towards others and what we should hope for from them.

It is a negative statement of what we should not do to others as we would hope others would not do to us.

If we see our neighbour in need we should assist them as we hope they would help us.

If we perceive our neighbour is in poverty, discriminated against or excluded, then we would not accept this for ourselves and therefore should seeking systemic change to systems promoting or causing social Injustice.