The Golden Rule is probably the most well-known thing Jesus ever said. If you were to ask the common man on the street what the Golden Rule is, he could probably tell you.

Matthew 7:12 says, “Therefore, whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.”

It is the summit of ethics, behavior, righteousness and godliness. It is a very simple explanation of God’s love, and yet the whole law rests upon it.

The Golden Rule shows us exactly how God’s heart longs for us to live. It reveals the heart of God. It is concerned with true love and with positive, active behavior. It is all about looking, searching and seeking for ways to do the good to others that you would want done to you.

A Boy Scout story

When I was about 12 years old, I was a Cub Scout just about to become a Boy Scout. The Boy Scouts were having a huge jamboree in the area. I was ready to step up into the Boy Scouts and was invited to the jamboree with several other Cub Scouts. When I arrived with my older brother, who was already a Boy Scout, I thought I would just camp and tag along with him. Boy, was I wrong. We were separated immediately and he went off with his own troop.

The Golden Rule shows us exactly how God’s heart longs for us to live.
There were thousands of Boy Scouts, and the small number of Cub Scouts looked like a handful of blueberries in a sea of green peas. It just got more interesting for me from there. I had arrived hungry and expected to eat what my brother and I had packed, but they took all of our food and said I had to fend for myself and also find a place to sleep.

The Boy Scouts were in groups of four; and I, like the other Cub Scouts, was told to introduce myself to a group of scouts and convince them to take me into their camp, share their food and allow me to participate with them in all of their activities. No Cub Scouts were allowed to stay together.

They told us to be on our way. We stuck out like sore thumbs. As I started out, I had to figure out what approach I would take. I spotted a fairly secluded camp down near a clump of trees. It wasn’t too far from the lake. It looked good to me. As I cautiously approached, I noticed the camp was empty. I crept closer and noticed a pot on the rocks next to the campfire. That pot was full of warm SpaghettiOs and a big spoon, and I was starving!! So, I dropped my pack and began to eat as much and as fast as I could shovel it in. It was so good!

Then in an instant, someone jerked me up by the scruff of my neck. The big kid that had grabbed me said, “Just what do you think you’re doing, boy? You’re dead!!” Then another guy said, “He was stealing our grub, let’s cut him up and use him for fish bait.” This big scout, who was still holding me clear off the ground, asked the other scouts what they wanted to do to me. One of the others answered that they should hang me. Then they decided to let me explain.

I told them that we had been turned loose out here to fend for ourselves and find a group to camp with and I liked their nice secluded spot that was close to the water. The food was ready, so I just helped myself. I told them that I would have asked, but nobody was around. The big scout said that if anyone my size (and I was really short) had enough guts to steal their grub, they’d be proud to have him in their camp with them. They were very kind and good to me throughout the whole campout. As it turned out, they even knew my brother.

If everyone were committed to following and living by the Golden Rule, it would bring about a world of peace overnight, because it makes all men equal.
The big scout’s name was Jim, and this was his and another older scout’s last jamboree. They had both just been drafted to Vietnam. It was sad to learn that those four scouts that I spent those three days with all ended up in Vietnam. Two didn’t come home. Jim was wounded, captured and tortured. I talked to him once after he came home, but he wasn’t the same anymore. I will always remember the kindness and gentleness of those four scouts—especially Jim—and how they took care of me.

Micah 6:8 says, “He has shown you, O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?”

What can you do? Here are some more suggestions:

1.

Work for true justice as much as possible in this life. Insist that people be treated justly in all situations.
2.

Have and express real love and genuine concern for one another’s well-being.
3.

Teach and live the Golden Rule because the author is Jesus Christ and it’s the whole law, not just a saying.

If everyone were committed to following and living by the Golden Rule, it would bring about a world of peace overnight, because it makes all men equal. God is not a respecter of persons!! He loves us all!

The beginnings of scouting

Have you ever heard how the Boy Scouts of America got started in the United States? It is the story of a good turn!

One day in 1909 in London, England, an American visitor, William D. Boyce, lost his way in a dense fog. He stopped under a street lamp and tried to figure out where he was. A boy approached him and asked if he could be of help. “You certainly can,” said Boyce. He told the boy that he wanted to find a certain business office in the center of the city. “I’ll take you there,” said the boy.

When they got to the destination, Mr. Boyce reached into his pocket for a tip, but the boy stopped him. “No thank you, sir. I am a scout. I won’t take anything for helping.”

“A scout? And what might that be?” asked Boyce. The boy told the American about himself and about his brother scouts. Boyce became very interested.

Sir Robert
After finishing his errand, he had the boy take him to the British Scouting office. At the office, Boyce met Lord Robert Baden-Powell, the famous British general who had founded the scouting movement in Great Britain. Boyce was so impressed with what he learned that he decided to bring scouting home with him.

On February 8, 1910, Boyce and a group of outstanding leaders founded the Boy Scouts of America (BSA). From that day forth, scouts have celebrated February 8 as the birthday of scouting for boys in the United States.

What happened to the boy who helped Mr. Boyce find his way in the fog? No one knows. He had neither asked for money nor given his name, but he will never be forgotten. His good turn helped bring the Scouting movement to the United States. In the British Scout Training Center at Gilwell Park, England, scouts from the United States erected a statue of an American buffalo in honor of this unknown scout.

One “good turn” to one man became a good turn to millions of American boys. Such is the power of a good turn. The BSA has continued to consistently teach good values. They are written in the scout oath, law, motto and slogan. According to the scout law, a scout is to be trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient, cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean and reverent.

Scout motto: Be prepared

The Boy Scouts are not just a camping club. They have three aims:

1. Build moral strength and character.
2. Foster citizenship.
3. Develop fitness.

These three aims are the bedrock of the American Scouting movement. They represent the long-term outcomes we most want for every boy. It is the mission of the Boy Scouts of America to serve others by helping to instill values in young people and in other ways prepare them to make ethical choices over their lifetime in achieving their full potential.

There is a girl in our congregation who lives by the same ideals and is a Girl Scout. One way she serves is by making sure there is enough food for those who are in need. This is a great example of going above and beyond the call of duty to do good things to others. All who contribute also fulfill that duty.

Scout oath

Boy Scout
The Boy Scout oath reads:

“On my honor I will do my best
To do my duty to God and my country
and to obey the Scout Law;
To help other people at all times;
To keep myself physically strong,
mentally awake, and morally straight.”

In this oath, there are four things that are really meaty:

1. To help other people at all times.
2. To keep myself physically strong.
3. To keep myself mentally awake.
4. To keep myself morally straight.

If we can have these things ingrained in us and we in turn ingrain them into our children, grandchildren, nieces, nephews and so on, then we will have gained and left a better generation.

When Boyce formed the Boy Scouts, he said the purpose would be: “To promote, through organization and cooperation with other agencies, the ability of boys to do things for themselves and others, to train them in Scout craft and to teach them patriotism, courage, self-reliance and kindred virtues, using the methods which are in common use by Boy Scouts.”

One good turn to one man became a good turn to millions for American boys. I know my experience influenced the way I react when I see someone in need, partly because I know how it feels to be in need. Such is the power of a good turn. Hence the Scout slogan: “Do A Good Turn Daily!” It sounds a lot like the Golden Rule that Christ taught.