The Golden Rule

Golden rule living. How many of us can say we do that? Day in--day out? This was our Sunday School lesson for today. And what a great lesson to begin the new year with! How many of us are without prejudging people at times based on superficial evidence? We've all done it at one time or another, at least I know I have.

Our story today was of a man, riding on a train, on a Sunday morning in New York City. Most of the passengers were either sleeping or reading. At one station,a father and his three children got on board. As the train went on, the children became more hyperactive. They soon were playing games of tag up and down the car--all to the father's apparent disregard.

The man judged the father, wondering what kind of father would allow his school-age children to be so completely disruptive in a public environment. Didn't he notice? Why did he look as though he didn't care?

Finally, the man put his paper down, confronted the father and asked him why he allowed his children to run so wildly all over the train. "They are disrupting everyone on board!" Exclaimed the man.

The father seemed to snap suddenly out of his stupor and quickly gathered his children, who came immediately at his command. "I'm sorry," he replied. "You see, we've all just come from the hospital where their mother passed away from cancer this morning. I guess they're a little wound up."

The man said his judgmental attitude and disrespect for the father and his kids immediately evaporated. He sat down, wondering how many other situation he had misjudged.

How many times have we ourselves been in this man's shoes? In the bible, Matthew 7 tells us about judging others and how we will be judged. Don't look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in our own eye.

Now, for the gold rule: Matthew 7:12 So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law of the Prophets.

Hopefully, everyone can incorporate this into their daily lives in 2009. Imagine how great the earth would be!