Listen

“Treat people in the same way that you want them to treat you.”

Luke 6:31

Think

One of the ways Jesus teaches us how to live as God’s family is through what is known as the “Golden Rule.” Often we think of rules as things we have to do or things not to do. We find rules on lists at schools or in parks or other public places. A different way to think of the “Golden Rule,” though, is as a practice or way of life.

Treating others as you wish to be treated is not a rule that you can simply obey or break; it takes daily practice. It takes time and practice to love others well and to treat them as you think they wish to be treated. Jesus invites us to ask the question of ourselves: how do I wish to be treated?

How would you answer that question? Now go and do likewise, day after day. In time you will become better and better at loving others — even those who do not treat you well.

Kyle Caudle

Pray

Jesus, you loved others as yourself and treated others with dignity, even outsiders and outcasts whom no one treated well. Help me to follow your example and love others as you have loved me. Amen.

Go

As you go, remember you are loved,

loved so deeply by the God who loves this world.

Drawing from the divine depths of this love,

may you join hands with others — even your enemies —

in making God’s dream come true.

Amen.