The Golden Rule.

All of us are probably familiar with the folk wisdom, “As the mountain calls, so the mountain calls.” Everyone knows what an echo is, and it doesn’t take much knowledge to recognize that there is also an echo in human relationships. Jesus speaks of this echo: “What you want people to do to you, do also to them.” (Mt 7:12).

But this call of Jesus transcends our folk wisdom, which is more akin to the Old Testament, “What is not pleasing to you, do not do to another” (Tob 4:16). Neither calls directly for doing good. Instead, folk wisdom speaks of a response to a particular act, and Old Testament wisdom discourages doing evil.
Jesus’ exhortation, however, calls for doing good. If he calls for doing good, he knows that good is not always rewarded with good. He knows that interest is complex; it is narrow and passes through a narrow gate. But it is the only way to life.

If we were to compare the moral prescriptions given by God to Moses, or given directly by Jesus, with the drugs of other religions or ethical principles, we would find that they largely coincide. Why? Because of the ability to know the good. Even a young child knows that pain, battle, or sickness is terrible and knows what is good. From the knowledge of good and evil that touches me, I realize that others suffer for sin too, and good help them develop. From my own experience, I derive what is good and what is evil. However, this ability to know good and evil is not absolute. We often doubt what is right and what is wrong. God, therefore, helps us with His Law. When He determines to do this, He does not want to limit us but guide us to attain life.
A certain Verbist said in a sermon, “To reward good with evil is diabolical, to reward evil with evil is instinctive, to reward good with good is human, but to reward evil with good is Christian.” We see that it is not always true: as the mountain is called, so it is answered from the hill. How many times is well rewarded with evil? If I strike, I will strike first. But if I do good, will I see the reward? Certainly, but only from God. Man can also “thank” me for good with evil.

One of my professors presented us with his slap theory. He said: “A young girl appeared on a television show and said that she didn’t know what was good and what was bad, and she didn’t even know who had the right to decide.” The professor added that he wouldn’t explain it to her; it would probably take longer. He’d give her one slap. If she snapped out of it, she’d know right away what the difference was between right and wrong.

The professor, however, is no grobian, but what he meant to explain to us with this was that people who relativize the concept of right and wrong are either not very smart or very cunning. Let us beware of the latter especially. They will say that we cannot know evil, so they will do evil – while we cannot judge them.

But knowing good is not enough; we must also do it. Live according to what we know. Let us dig deep into our hearts. Let’s find out if we act the way we would like people to work. Let us ask at this holy sacrifice: the strength to change it if we don’t.