Interfaith Insight - 2021
Permanent link for "The Golden Rule: An ancient and current responsibility" by Doug Kindschi on August 24, 2021
The story is told of a man who came to the famous Jewish rabbi,
Hillel, wanting to have the entire Torah explained to him while
standing on one foot. Hillel responded: “What is hateful to you, do
not do to others. This is the whole of the Torah. The rest is the
commentary; go and study.”
This form of the Golden Rule is based on a number of passages
from the Jewish Scripture and restated by Jesus a century after
Hillel. In Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount he says, “Do to others what you
want them to do to you. This is the meaning of the law of Moses and
the teaching of the prophets.” (Matthew 7:12) The Apostle Paul
reaffirmed this teaching in his letter to the Galatians: “For the
whole law is fulfilled in one word, you shall love your neighbor as
yourself.” (Galatians 5:14)
Some form of the Golden Rule is found in nearly every religious
tradition and is acknowledged by secularists as well, as a basic
principle to living in peace with our fellow humans. The Hindu
tradition has a form similar to the Jewish version which says,
"This is the sum of duty: do not do to others what would cause
pain if done to you." (Mahabharata 5:1517) The Buddhist
tradition has a similar version: "A state that is not pleasing or
delightful to me, how could I inflict that upon another?"
(Samyutta Nikaya v.353) and “Hurt not others in ways that you
yourself would find hurtful." (Udana-Varga 5:18)
In the Quran, we find the positive version of our responsibility:
“Do good – to parents, kinsfolk, orphans, those in need, neighbors who
are near, neighbors who are strangers.” (Quran 4:36) In the sayings
of Muhammad, called the Hadith, the Golden Rule is repeated more than
once, for example: “None of you have faith until you love for your
neighbor what you love for yourself.” (Sahih Muslim)
In both Muslim and Christian Scriptures we also get the further
admonition: “Return evil with kindness.” (Quran 13:22, 23:96, 28:54,
41:34, and 42:40) In a similar way Jesus said, “Love your enemies, do
good to them which hate you.” (Luke 6:27)
Our responsibility also goes beyond the immediate neighbor and
includes all who are in need. Jesus was asked by the lawyer what one
must do to inherit eternal life. He responded, “Thou shalt love the
Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all
thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is
like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. On these two
commandments hang all the law and the prophets.” (Matthew 22:35-40)
When asked by the lawyer who was his neighbor, Jesus did not give
a legal answer but told a story about a person who had been beaten,
robbed, and left by the side of the road. Two religious leaders
passed by but ignored the needy person. But a Samaritan, who was
considered by the Jews of the time as from a different ethnic and
religious group, stopped and cared for the stranger. Jesus then
pointedly asked who was neighbor to the person in need to which the
lawyer responded, “the one who showed mercy.” This parable of the Good
Samaritan sets forth the standard of not only avoiding doing what is
hateful, but taking a positive active step in doing good, especially
in helping those in need.
In our world today we are seeing thousands, even millions, now in
need, trying to escape violence and war. What is our response to these
needs? Do we act out of fear or do we show mercy?
Let us not run away from what we know is the right course of
action. The plight of the refugee is as much an issue for us today as
it was for these early faith teachers.