No. 34 The Golden Mark

In everything, do to others as you would have them do to you; for this is the law and the prophets. [Love your neighbor as yourself.] Matthew 7:12, Matthew 22:39, Mark 12:31

God knows how easy it is to love an invisible all-powerful Being that we imagine adores us with all our flaws and can grant all our wishes.

No wonder the heathen think we are deluded. We should beware of that trap! Loving God is only the vertical bar of the cross. It stands straight and tall like a marble obelisk glimmering in the sunshine. Me and God are best friends because He loves me as much as I love me! How wonderful; let’s skip merrily down the yellow-brick road to bliss. Oops, I’m falling off a cliff!

To hit the Mark we must take a step beyond nature as often as opportunities to do so present themselves.

Ironically it is not the vertical post, but the cross-bar that divinizes us; it stretches all the way from my heart to the person next to me, and only briefly touches the point of my relationship to the all-powerful loving God.

This Mark commands us to treat others, not as they treat us, but as we want to be treated. It tells us to gain power over our attitudes; we need to put aside in others their rudeness, arrogance, hostility; dismiss their blatant lies, their ingratitude and undeserved rancor.

Treat all men and women with the kind of compassion and generosity that we expect from God. In this way we bring the invisible God into focus for the heathen, and we are constantly reminded of His forbearance towards us when we miss the Mark.

Practice giving amazing grace daily.