Wars are fought over religion. The Supreme Being is called by different names. People distrust, belittle, hate, or kill others because of their religious beliefs. Yet, it all boils down to a simple rule that appears in the holy books of all major religions. Some call it the “Golden Rule.” (Put the cursor on the chart and use Ctrl X while scrolling to enlarge so you can see everything.)
I thought it would be good to start the new year by reminding ourselves of a guideline that is so basic that all major religions have it written into their holy book.
[Sometimes, keeping the rules exactly as written is absurd and even harmful. Following is a story from Change.org about just such a case. They have a petition going asking for a reversal of the decision. If you’d like to sign it, click on Change.org.]
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On October 22nd, 2015,17-year-old Zachary Hougland sprinted across the finish line and into the record books as Davis County High School’s first cross country district champion. He was thrilled. But when he turned and saw another runner from an opposing team looking pale and pained, clutching his chest, he quickly stopped celebrating.
With nobody helping the runner, Zach did what he felt any true athlete should do — he ran back to him and helped him to the finish line. And because of this, the Iowa High School Athletic Association (IHSAA) has stripped him of his win.
The IHSAA claims it was only following the national rule that states you can’t assist another runner. But that rule exists to prevent competitors from cheating, which Zach was certainly not doing in this case. When a rule is used to punish an act of human decency, you undermine the very sportsmanship you are trying to protect.
If Zach’s win is not restored, he will miss out on his last chance to fulfill his longtime dream of competing individually in the state championship. Yet, despite the disappointment and frustration this setback has caused, he says he wouldn’t take back his actions. The Iowa High School Athletic Association may have taken away Zach’s victory, but it’s clear they haven’t diminished his courage.
I can’t believe that colleges have come up with new rules to apply to sporting events, including a ban on boo-ing. Young adults attend college. When they were young children, they were taught (I would hope) that boo-ing their opponent was not only rude but emotionally hurtful to those on the receiving end. Now that they’re all but grown up, they need a RULE to force them to respect their fellow human beings? That’s disheartening!
Today, I watched a person begin a new life. I first knew him when he was in my high school English class, far more interested in the girl sitting next to him than in the heroine of the novel I was trying to teach. Now, after many years in prison, he is free again. The first thing he did was to thank God for his freedom. Then he went to the cemetery to visit loved ones whose funerals he couldn’t attend. He arrived at my house around 11:30 to thank my husband and me for never losing faith in him and keeping in touch..and to play with the dog, which he’d longed to do for a long time. After a short visit he was off to Los Angeles to his temporary home with the sisters at The Francisco Homes.
He spent his time Inside finishing his B.A. and taking other correspondence courses in Bible and theology. He was active in his Chapel and refused to take part in any violence, including declining to strike back either the time he was stabbed or the time he was beaten. He made it a point to help other inmates and to be a peacemaker between races. In short, he spent his years growing up, trying to atone for his crime, and learning to be a responsible, caring adult.
Is he a saint? Of course not. He did something bad, and he served the time the judge gave him. When family and friends dropped off, as they almost always do after a year or so, he made new ones through letters. Those of us in contact with him saw the changes he made, all for the good.
The point is, he’ll have a hard time out here, adjusting to technology that is new to him, making new friends who can get over their fear of ex-cons to get to know him, recovering from sticker-shock when he shops, getting a permanent place to live, getting a job, living a free, law abiding life.
People like him are often shunned by our society. They’re feared, looked down on, avoided. We certainly don’t want our kids around them, even if their crime was not related to children or sex. But why? All of us have experienced the good luck of getting away with speeding, hit-and-run (not sticking around when scratching a car), theft (absent-mindedly not paying for something in the basket), disturbing the peace, tax fraud (fudging on tax returns)—all sorts of things. These people may have done worse, but, unlike us, they got caught. Now we pass judgment on them that’s worse than the court imposed. We forget that they, too, are part of our human family and, as such, their lives have worth, especially those who are working hard at doing right.
I wish my friend luck, because he’ll need it. For the rest of us, I wish expressions of patience, compassion, and, yes, a little basic Golden-Rule love.