IT BEGINS WITH YOU

 

August 2, 2026

 

Matthew 7:12, “In everything do to others as you would have them do to you, for this is the Law and the Prophets.

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This is perhaps the most profound statement Jesus ever made. He was a Jewish Rabbi, a teacher of the Torah. That meant he was an expert in Jewish laws, commandments, and the teachings of the many ancient Prophets. That was what a Rabbi did. He didn’t quote the “Commandments of Moses” or spout the dictates of the Pharisees; he saw the Scriptures for what they were. His teaching was simple and straightforward, and every Jew who heard him understood.

 

He spoke in absolutes, without exceptions or ambiguous qualifications. He said, “in everything,” which leaves nothing out. It means in every aspect of your life, in all you say and do, with every beat of your heart and every breath you take, treat everyone as you would hope they would treat you. Speak to them as you would have them speak to you. See them as you would hope they would see you. Live with them in peace, unity, acceptance, with empathy, and compassion, just as you would have them live with you. Don’t judge, condemn, reject, or treat them in any way you yourself would not want to be treated. Do you?

 

Somewhere along the way, we have become lost. We replaced this simple message with cannons, creeds, councils, presbyteries, institutions, and governments that promote the “laws, commandments, rules, and regulations” over the simple truth Jesus taught. We replaced his simple message with a vision of miracles and myths, the veneration of a book we are told was “God’s Word,” and thousands of misguided interpretations. We are people of creeds and memberships, yet we fail to know the truth that would free us to live in godliness. This is the same sin as that of the first-century Jewish leaders, the ones Jesus spoke against, who had to silence him to save themselves and preserve their lies. Things today haven’t improved much. But just as in the time of Jesus, there are still those who know the truth and are passing it on. What message are you following?

 

This premise is among the clearest pieces of evidence that this is the foundation of what it means to live a godly life, as Jesus taught: it is universal to all humankind. All the major religions of the world proclaim this same message. All the great Prophets, at some point and in some manner, made this same proclamation. This is what Jesus meant by living in the “Kingdom of God.” It was a “way of living” founded on unconditional love, respect for all humankind, and the unity of all of God’s Children, regardless of any circumstances and without exception. Jesus called for change, but only a few heard his message. Will you?

 

"The world doesn’t change when you expose others’ flaws; it changes when you improve your own." Buddhist Saying

 

All the religions of the world are fragmented. As in the time of Jesus, there were then and are today several differing Jewish sects. Today we have over 35,000 different Christian denominations around the world, all claiming to be the “only way,” the “correct doctrine,” the “truth and the light,” yet all falling short of true godliness. The same is true for Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam, and all the others. What a better world this would be if they accepted the simple message Jesus and others taught and taught their followers to make it their way of life. That truly would be heaven on earth. That begins with each of us; that begins with you. How are you doing with this task?

 

"Those who spend their time looking for the faults in others have no time to correct their own." Buddhist Saying

 

Your task in life has nothing to do with others; it is up to you and to who you are, how you live, and what is in your heart. Our religious institutions teach us to look at others, examine them until we find faults or invent them, and then to judge, condemn, and hate those who aren’t like what we say they should be. We fail to understand that when we do these things to others, they see us just as we see them. They see us as wrong, sinful, ungodly, and perhaps with more justification than we have toward them. We waste the short time we have in this life looking at others and failing to look at ourselves. We spend our days hating those who aren’t just like us instead of living in godliness and accepting everyone as God created them to be. In doing so, we miss all that God created us to be. Is this you?

Jesus didn’t do anything for anyone except show us how to live in true godliness. He was an example for us to follow and taught truths meant to change our lives. Salvation begins when we decide to turn from our current ways toward a life of godliness, one lived by loving all others as we would want them to love us. It isn’t a creed you can recite or a book you must read, but a path you must choose to walk. Just like Jesus. Will you?

 

Let this be the day you hear the words of Jesus, accept them for what they truly mean, and make them your way of life from this day forth. And perhaps someone will notice how you are living and ask you to help them do the same. I hope you will.

 

Rev. Dr. Shannon Rogers, DDiv

Sr. Pastor and President, Unitarian Christian Church of America (UCCA)