Do Unto
Scripture selection: Luke 6:31
“Do to others as you would have them do to you.”
It’s the classic “golden rule.”
To many people – it’s the bottom line of Christianity.
I think there is much more to a rich life of faith – the worship, the prayer life, the spiritual learning, and the adoration of God. Still, I completely understand why this simple golden rule speaks to so many – as well it should.
Jesus called his followers to a way of life that is truly revolutionary. He still does.
It challenges us to love more deeply, act more honestly, defend more vigorously the rights of others, and speak out more boldly for the oppressed. It means we simply don’t have the “luxury” of those in the world who can do as they please to others, chocking it all up to “it’s a dog eat dog world.”
That just isn’t how the kingdom life works.
So, in all the richness and complexity of a life of faith – we are challenged to, in some way, keep things simple.
Love everyone as we have been loved.
Do unto others, as you would have them do unto you.
So simple, yet often difficult to do.
This is where prayer comes in.
We don’t need to muster the inner resources to live out this noble calling. In fact, I doubt that we could do that if we tried.
We need spiritual resources.
The good news is God is more than willing to provide them.
We just need to ask.
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By Paul Simrell
The Reverend Paul W. Simrell has served for over thirty years in a variety of congregational and institutional settings. He is a recognized minister with standing in the Virginia region of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in the United States and Canada and is nationally endorsed by the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) for specialized ministry in both pastoral counseling and chaplaincy. Ordained in 1982, he has served congregations in Kentucky, Texas, Florida, and Virginia. He currently serves as the pastor of Elpis Christian Church, a small, historic congregation located just a few miles west of Richmond, Virginia. Elpis is the Greek word meaning “expectant hope.” He also serves on the associate clinical staff of the Virginia Institute of Pastoral Care, Richmond, Virginia, both as a pastoral counselor and a ministerial assessment specialist, specializing in executive, clergy and relationship coaching. He is a graduate of the University of Florida and Lexington Theological Seminary and has done advanced clinical training in chaplaincy and pastoral counseling at the University of Kentucky Medical Center in Lexington, Kentucky, Children’s Medical Center and Parkland Hospital in Dallas, Texas and the Virginia Institute of Pastoral Care in Richmond, Virginia. He is a Certified Pastoral Counselor, an ACPE Practitioner, and a member of the American Association of Christian Counselors. He is a Certified Facilitator of the Prepare-Enrich relationship assessment and skills-building program and served as a volunteer chaplain for over twenty years with the CJW Medical Center campuses in Richmond, Virginia. His avocational interests include playing the piano and drawing. He is very happily married to his wife Elizabeth Yeamans Simrell, a free-lance writer, who is also a Certified Facilitator for the Prepare-Enrich program.
Good company in a journey makes the way seem shorter. — Izaak Walton
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