March 8 - Lenten Devotional

"Do to others as you would have them do to you." (Luke 6:31)

This is the Luke version of the text we generally call "The Golden Rule". We teach it to our kids with intention of getting Jesus on side. Trying to make our kids be "good neighbors" we recruit Jesus to help us out - "remember, do unto others as you would have them do unto you."

Do you think at some point though as adults we forget this applies to us and not just our children? Do you think we forget that it is to apply to all things, and not just when we wish to recruit Jesus to OUR side?

In a previous life I was a philosophy major (okay college wasn't exactly a previous life but it feels that way at times). I spent a lot of my time in the area of political philosophy. And for some reason I am always drawn back to the concept put forth by John Rawls of, "the veil of ignorance". I will over simplify and say it basically means we ask what system of government and laws and rules would we draw up if we did so ignorant of who we would be in the system.

"Do to others as you would have them do to you."

It's the same idea really - just writ large. The social and political systems of our world "do" lots of things in our name... and we ought to make sure what they do to others is what we would want them to do if that was us... because basically "others" are "us".

I've shared a story before about my sister's medical problems. Every time I think of them I'm grateful she was born privileged enough to have a big and supportive family... because without that family (and particularly my parents and her husband) she would long since have ended up homeless - buried under way too much medical debt, no fault of her own... just the straw she had when the "veil of ignorance" lifted.

Everything we do in our lives affects others. Everything about our corporate lives - whether a school, club or nation - is our responsibility and affects LOTS of others. As disciples Christ reminds us that we don't get to separate faith from the social and political landscapes of our lives. In all we do... in all we are a part of (and we are a part of a great many things we often forget to think about and take responsibility for)... we are called to do to others as we would have them do to us. We tell it to our kids - but do we remember it ourselves?

What ways are you blessed by positions and places you were born into?
Are you using those gifts to help those who weren't so fortunate?
What are the groups, institutions and nation/national groups that represent you... are they doing to others as you would have them do to you?

Relational God,
Everything you call us to reminds us that we are not alone.
Everything you call us to reminds us that we are not independent.
Everything you call us to reminds us that our lives have consequences.
Help us, God, to be aware of our lives and attentive to the lives of those connected to us by space... blood... time... and you. Amen.