A Closer Walk
Since George Washington's birthday was on February 22 let's talk about him.
"In politics as in philosophy, my tenets are few and simple. The leading one of which, and indeed that which embraces most others, is to be honest and just ourselves and to exact it from others, meddling as little as possible in their affairs where our own are not involved. If this maxim were generally adopted, wars would cease and our swords would soon be converted into reap hooks and our harvests be more peaceful, abundant, and happy," George Washington, February 22, 1732-December 14, 1799.
George Washington was a man entirely of the eighteenth century. Had he lived eighteen more days he would have gotten into the nineteenth century, but just barely. When he passed away he was sixty-seven years old; but would have been sixty-eight in a couple more months. Sixty-seven years. What a life. I would guess that during the entire course of human history there have been very few people who have lived a more eventful life. And he lived it on a broad and far-reaching stage that was historical for all of planet Earth. He also lived his life alongside numerous other historical figures and personalities.
In the quote above, he offers us a bright and hopeful future if we will live our lives following certain principles (our Bibles offer the same thing, agreed?). He tells each of us to be honest and just. If we don't start there then what else matters? If we are liars or thieves we are heading ourselves down the wrong path. People want to do business with people that are honest and that they can trust. There are people who will borrow money then disappear. There are people who think lying is always the best policy. Worked for a store manager once who lied as a matter of practice. He would lie even when he didn't need to. But he could say those lies with such conviction that you would believe him even though you already knew he was a liar and couldn't be trusted. The Bible offers us very similar advice. "Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets,” Matthew 7:12 KJV.
"...meddling as little as possible in their affairs where our own are not involved." If our own affairs are involved with someone else's, of course we have the right to be involved in that; such as if we are buying something from someone else, or we are selling something to someone else. But Mr. Washington is very eloquently telling us to mind our own business. Don't know if you have had people trying to manage your affairs (telling you what to do without you asking), or if you have had people inquiring about your affairs just to be nosey, but that is not helpful. Once had a neighbor come over and tell me what I needed to do with my back yard when I didn't ask for his help. Seemed intrusive. He was probably well meaning, but it didn't come across that way. Seemed more like a command or an order.
Mr. Washington believes that if all people did that, mind their own business, wars would cease and we would be able to turn our military weapons into farm equipment. The result would be our lives and our world would provide bigger harvests and more happiness. That is something that all people on earth would likely see as good. No more wars? Bigger harvests? More happiness? Sounds good to me.
"Then one of them, which was a lawyer, asked him a question, tempting him, saying, 'Master, which is the great commandment in the law? Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets,'" Matthew 22:35-40 KJV.