Ruby Bridges Hall is an American activist. She is known for being the first black child
to attend an all-white elementary school in Louisiana in the late 1950's.
A federal judge had ordered New Orleans to open its public schools to
African-American children. The white
parents decided that if black children were allowed to attend, they would keep
their children out. The white parents
also let it be known that any black children who came to school would be in for
trouble. So the black children stayed home too. Ruby's parents sent her to school all by
herself at six years old. Every morning
she walked alone through a heckling crowd to an empty school. White people
lined up on both sides of the way and shook their fists at her. But every morning at ten minutes to eight,
Ruby walked, head up, eyes ahead, straight through the mob; two U.S. marshals
walked ahead of her and two walked behind her.
She was the only student who spent the day with her teachers inside that
big school building.
Professor Robert Coles was curious about what went into the
making of courageous children like Ruby Bridges. He talked to Ruby's mother,
who said: "There's a lot of people
who talk about doing good, and a lot of people who argue about what's good and
what's not good," but then there are other folks who "just put their lives on the line for what's
right."
Which leads to our theme this morning about being a good
person, about righteousness. Do we need
more goodness and kindness in our world?
Do we need more honesty, integrity and morality in the world? Is the pope Catholic? What parent does not worry about her child
being bullied or kidnapped? Who does not
grieve the tragic deaths caused by drunk drivers? Are we not horrified by stories of greed,
corruption or evil, like shooting massacres in schools or movie theaters or in
the workplace?
Question - are human beings born good? Is human nature basically good? You might
think – well of course, look at a beautiful, sweet, helpless, darling
little baby. Conversely are human
beings born bad? Is human nature
intrinsically bad? How would you answer
the question?
Let's look at this question biblically. The Bible does not say human beings are born
good; that human nature is basically good.
Neither does the Bible also does not say human beings are born bad; that
human nature is basically bad. The
bible says human beings are born sinners.
I refer to the story in Genesis of Adam and Eve and the Garden of
Eden. This story is not only about Adam
and Eve, it’s a story about humanity; it's a universal story, it's your story
and my story. Adam and Eve were created
good by God, but then came the fall, which affected all humanity from that day
forth; the fall from grace, the fall from God, the fall from goodness. Because of their sin of disobeying God,
Genesis says: “The Lord God sent them
from the Garden of Eden, God drove them out of the garden.”
Biblically human beings are born as sinners, self-centered
rather than God centered, separated from God, in a wrong relationship with
God. This is the result of sin. Sinners
are capable of being good or bad, of doing good or committing evil.
That's of course why God sent Jesus into the world. God sent Jesus to save sinners, to make us
right with God, to bring us back into a right relationship with God. And that act of redemption included
instilling in us goodness, righteousness.
The Holy Spirit came to change our nature, to transform us, to make us
holy, to sanctify us, so that we would become more and more like Jesus himself
in our innermost being and outward behavior.
Here's the argument.
If human beings are basically good, then logically, we must blame our
family, blame society, blame our race, blame our nationality, blame our
environment, when we choose to do bad things.
We are not really personally
responsible. If people are basically
good, then you don’t have to teach children morality and respecting authority
and obeying the rules, about not cheating and lying and stealing. Why?
As they grow they will naturally by their nature become good
persons. If people are basically good,
they don’t need rules and laws to control their behavior, they will naturally
by their nature follow the rules and be good citizens. If human nature is basically good, we don't
need the Bible or God or Jesus, because our nature will direct us to always do
the right thing.
But if we are born sinners, we human beings need help, we
really need to learn and internalize this elemental teaching of Jesus. “In
everything do to others as you would have them do to you; for this is the law
and the prophets.” A modern day
interpreter put it this way: “Treat other people exactly as you would like
to be treated by them.” We of course
know this as the Golden Rule. Just
imagine what a different world we would live in if everyone followed this
single profound rule.
The Golden Rule was not original to Jesus. A Gentile asked a first century Rabbi, Rabbi
Shammai, to teach him the whole law while standing on one foot. Rabbi Shammai replied: “Do not
do to others what you would not have others do to you.” The man was so impressed that he asked to
become a student of the Rabbi. Other
Rabbi’s in Jesus’ day taught: “Whatever is hateful to you, don’t do to your
neighbor.”
The Jewish rule was stated in the negative. Jesus re-stated this rule in the
positive. This was Jesus’ original
contribution. The old rule is basically
passive, “don’t do this, don't do that.”
Jesus’ rule is active, “do this, do that.” In other words, the old rule can be kept by
not hurting another human being. Jesus’
moral ethic summons his followers to be active; to take the initiative, to be
pro-active, to do something positive toward others.
Yes, both perspectives are essential in the moral life. Both the positive and negative have
merit. They constitute the
Judeo/Christian ethic. We think of the
10 Commandments for example – don’t steal, don’t murder, don’t commit adultery,
don’t bear false witness. And now comes
Jesus rule – do unto others. These are two biblical perspectives on goodness,
on righteousness. They both are saying
– God created us to be good and Jesus teaches you to be good, to do good, to be
righteous in your life.
Radio talk show host Dennis Praeger, a practicing Jew,
said: “A lot of people feel that if you don’t rob or don’t kill you are a good
person. That’s not true. If you don’t rob and you don’t kill you’re
not a good person, you’re just not a criminal.
In order to be a good person, you have to do something positive.” Do you agree?
Does the golden rule still have authority today? Do people still try to follow it as a basic
moral guide for their lives? I don’t
know, I’m just asking questions. The Golden Rule summed up the law and
expressed Jesus’ passion for righteous living, for good behavior among his
followers. Jesus taught by word and
example that his followers are to be good people. Are we as Jesus followers passionate about
leading good, moral and righteous lives today?
Are we passionate about teaching goodness to our children and grandchildren? Are we passionate about promoting
righteousness in our society?
Doing good, shows our love, our obedience and respect for
God. It shows we live under God's
authority. It is a crucial witness to
others. People are far more apt to see
Jesus in you and me, to hear Jesus in you and me, if they see us leading
righteous lives.
It is inspiring when we see examples of people living
righteous lives. I remember some years ago when I was in Philadelphia . I had gone to visit the Philadelphia Museum
of Art. In front of the museum was a
large gathering of mothers. There were
posters and pictures, gospel music playing, prayers spoken, reporters, booths,
people giving speeches. It was a swirl
of activity. Then I saw shoes lined up
in rows on the steps leading up to the museum.
It turns out that these hundreds of shoes belonged to the sons and
daughters of these mothers who had been killed in violence on the streets of Philadelphia over the
past few years. The moms and dads were
speaking out against inner-city gang violence and drugs. They were grieving the loss of their own
children, and seeking answers to trying to curb the violence and loss of these
young lives. Through tears and
witnessing, they were striving to make a difference in their city.
Why aren’t more people involved in promoting goodness? For many reasons. Some people have become cynical. Why should I be good and follow the
rules? No one else does. You can’t get ahead if you’re honest. Only fools and losers play by the
rules? And then there is moral
relativism, which claims there are no longer any moral absolutes, no longer
absolute distinctions between right and wrong.
What may be wrong in one context might be right in another context. And there is the universal reality of selfishness,
self-absorption, self-centeredness.
People lack empathy and sympathy toward others.
Further there is fear.
People are afraid to take a stand for righteousness. You may be filled with righteous indignation
about some issue. But it’s risky confronting
or speaking out against corruption. It’s
uncomfortable at best and dangerous at worst.
Jesus says: “Do unto
others!” Stand up against evil, do
the right thing even if it’s difficult, treat others with respect, love your
neighbor, sacrifice for a just cause, act fairly and kindly. It may mean buying lunch for a police officer
or firefighter, or serving at Sunday Night Ministry and providing meals for
homeless people, or bringing a homebound member to church or visiting one of
our homebound members or going out to pick up trash on the beach or going out
on Graffiti Day to clean up gang signs around our city. It may mean giving someone the benefit a
doubt instead of immediately condemning them.
It may mean insuring that someone has due process.
Jesus says - “In
everything do to others as you would have them do to you.” This is not a quid pro quo - you scratch my
back and I’ll scratch yours. It's not
making deals. Jesus says think how you
want to be treated and treat others the same way. Love your neighbor as you love yourself,
speak the truth in love, feed the hungry, clothe the naked, visit the prisoner,
pray for your enemy, etc.
Dr. Albert Schweitzer, a committed Christian, coined the
phrase “Reverence for Life.” He
writes: “While making a difficult 160 mile trip on a small steamer up an African
river in 1915, at the very moment when at sunset we were making our way through
a herd of hippopotamuses, there flashed upon my mind, unforeseen and unsought,
the phrase Reverence for Life. It means
that life itself is sacred and our duty is to cherish it. Life is a great gift that needs to be
treasured and respected. It includes
love and appreciation for life, for God, for other people and the desire to
serve them, for all living things, for beauty in nature, and honesty and
integrity in all things. The more we
have a reverence for life, the more life becomes richer and more beautiful.”
I like what we read in I John: “Little
children let us love not in word or speech but in truth and action. All who obey his commandments abide in him
and he abides in them. And by this we
know that He abides in us by the Spirit that He has given us.” We are able to overcome sin, we are able to
do good, we are able to lead righteous lives, because of the forgiving grace of
God and the indwelling power of the Holy Spirit.
Philosopher Edmund Burke wrote: “The
only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.” The prophet Micah summed it up well: “God
has told you O mortal what is good, and what does the Lord require of you, but
to do justice, to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God.” Where in your life is Jesus calling you to
put the golden rule into practice?
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