It’s Way Past Time to Honor the Golden Rule – OB Rag

by Ernie McCray

Ive been getting a few memes on my Facebook feed kind of around the theme that God doesnt give you more than you can handle.

Such a sentiment makes me shudder as people right now, who are way overburdened with a situation brought on by a deadly virus, are dying left and right all around us and all around the world.

Im not religious but I was raised in a home with people who were religious to the bone, two of the truest Christians Ive ever known: my mother, a soulful gospel piano playing woman who played for our churchs choir, and her father, my grandfather, a man who had sailed several seas and honored his Lord as easily as he breathed.

But their faith was reflected, less on cutesy Bible verses and the like, and more on just being respectful of their fellow human beings and giving way more than they received.

My point being they would never have made any struggling overwhelmed person feel at ease spouting claims that God wont allow you to be burdened too much and they, the both of them, endured and overcame a plethora of lifes daunting challenges and they gave thanks for their blessings. But they knew that didnt apply to everybody as they, as well as I over my lifetime, have seen many folks go under because they couldnt handle their lifes conditions.

They modeled, for me, how Christians should be although Ive shed much of the pure sacredness aspects of my upbringing as religion has simply, to myliking, been too full of hallelujahs and you cant do this and you cant do that and talk about the devil and the enemy and stuff like that.

However, what I took from that was a Do unto others what you would have them do unto you philosophy that has guided my behavior throughout my life.

Like in sports I was in an opponents face like Sherlock Holmes on a murder case but I never tried to hurt anybody intentionally because I didnt want anybody trying to injure me.

On the playground I stood on the sidelines of the Yo Mama putdowns and other such trash talking traditions of renown because I didnt want to hurt anybodys feeling and didnt want anybody to hurt mine.

The Golden Rule has suited me just fine.

And that brings me back to this day and time, to my Facebook timeline that expresses a few of my friends religious beliefs, their need to praise their God, something I fully understand, but I wish theyd be considerate of others when they post sentiments like:

Gas in the Car!Still got a job!Somebody needs to tell GodThank you!!!

Their feelings inspired a range of true dats and amens and I, too, felt thankful that so far, at least, Im not having any trouble making ends meet but Icouldnt help but wonder how such a message resonated with someone who:

cant pay their bills,keep food on the table,gas up their carand has no job.What should theytell God?

I wouldnt, if I were one of them, want to be greeted online with rejoicing that treated me as if I and my misfortunes didnt exist.

So, it seems to me, and Im sure my mom and granddad, if they were still around, would agree that if were to get through our ordeal as a world of people, we will simply have to treat each other the way wed like to be treated.

A world honoring the Golden Rule is an idea way past its time as such behavior might be the answer to what our collective duty should be all about during these times: saving humankind.

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It's Way Past Time to Honor the Golden Rule - OB Rag