There have been many times, I’ve been in discussions with
people in regards to God, or a relationship with God. Depending on the person, this relationship
generally ends with “you know what, I believe a relationship with God is
personal and talking about this isn’t really appropriate. Yes I believe in certain things like ‘love
your neighbour as yourself’ but I’m not comfortable in this discussion”.
Fine – I have no problems with that. If someone wants to take that approach that
is their choice. What bother me is the
fact that many people will say the Golden rule is true: Love your neighbour as yourself.
Here is the problem:
Many people will say they believe in such things – and they do believe
in such things, just so long as it doesn’t get in the way of their selfish
lifestyle, or just as long as it doesn’t it doesn’t make them admit to their
own wrong doings in their own life, or just as long as they have their “peace
of mind”.
Why is this a problem?
Well the things they believe in they themselves only follow it
conditionally. If this is the case, does
this mean they only love themselves conditionally?
The expression goes “love your neighbour as yourself” but it
would probably make more sense to people to hear it as “love your neighbour as
you love yourself.” From here it begins
to make more sense.
Now – let’s relate to the adulterous woman story from John
8:1-11, of which everyone concludes and points out “you shouldn’t judge.”
Assume for a moment that any little “wrong” aka sin in life
earned you the death penalty. Would you
want the death penalty or would you want a person like Jesus to step forward
and see the fear in your eyes, and offer you another chance. Offer you another chance to live life. I guarantee you, that one who realizes they’ve
done wrong, would be thankful to hear: I
don’t condemn you either. Go and sin no
more. Guaranteed that person would not
go and do the same thing again.
What does our society with such people? You go to court, you get judged, and if you’re
in a country or state where the death penalty exists, you’re going to be put to
death. Yet, people don’t see a problem
with society, because they’d rather a person who’s learned their lesson go to
jail or suffer the death penalty.
How would you feel if you were in that situation? Would you not want to be forgiven and let go?
This is what our society and our court system doesn’t
allow. Everything that allows you to get
a clean slate, always has a condition upon it.
Jesus didn’t have that condition.
He said “I condemn you not either – go and don’t do that again”.
No condition – just a request, clean slate, as simple as
that.
The problem with society is we don’t have it within us to
just freely forgive people, there’s always a condition: I’ll forgive the person, but it doesn’t mean
I have to trust them anymore. Another
condition: I’ll forgive them, but it
doesn’t mean I have to keep them in my life.
Again – what would you want, if you realized you made a
mistake? What would you want if you realized
things you did when you were younger influenced someone’s life for years and
only now they’re getting their life back on track?
That’s what love your neighbour as yourself can look
like. That is what it should look
like. People and society have just taken
those words and they’ve simply become a cliché.
What causes such things?
Public Media, people who don’t have good morals influencing others, but
moreso, people’s selfishness and love of success.
People should stop saying they believe in “love your
neighbour as yourself”, and should start living life in a way that is
said: love your neighbour as you love
yourself.
