They call it the “platinum Rule”. Everyone seems to know about the Golden Rule – “do unto others as you would have them do unto you” – and it is precisely from this maxim that what is, arguably, a more universal idea has developed. This is “try to understand what the other person would like done to them and act accordingly”.

Maybe it is through such actions that we can recognise one of the most genuine forms of love. This is expressed when we meet one another as equals, each with our own strengths and vulnerabilities, in a relationship of reciprocity and respect and recognising the value and dignity of every life, even in the most difficult circumstances. It is a matter of never ignoring the people around us but being very attentive to them.

Chiara Lubich said, “True love for one’s neighbour does no harm.” [1] Indeed, if we love, we avoid every form of hurt and harm, both to ourselves and to our brothers and sisters. The first step in loving one’s neighbour is exactly this. However, to love fully, we need also to be creative in doing so. Pope Francis reminded us that it is not enough simply to refrain from harming our neighbour; we must choose to do good and take advantage of every opportunity that arises.

We know that none of us can give what we do not have, and it is only by recognising the love we have already received that we can fully share our gifts with others.

How, then, can we put this ‘Idea of the Month’ into practice? Let us put love at the centre of our lives. Let us love others in practical ways, with creativity and imagination, and above all with deep listening that comes ‘from within’, from the heart.

Doris, a young woman from Scotland, tells us: ‘During our regular visits to a homeless shelter, I step into a world very different from my own. I know that what I feel doesn’t matter so much; what matters is loving. One day, a man whose face was marked with deep sadness confided in me that he felt ready to end it all, that he even wanted to die. I simply sat and listened to him and then we shared a sandwich and a coffee. I realised that listening and being there for him was already a way of showing love. When it was time to leave, he gave me a big hug and smiled, saying that what we were doing was very important, not just for him, but for everyone there. I felt the incredible power of love. Perhaps I didn’t ‘save’ him, but his gratitude filled me with joy, and that, in itself, is very powerful.”

[1] C. Lubich, Word of Life, September 1993

Photo © Myriams fotos – Pixabay

THE IDEA OF THE MONTH is currently produced by the Focolare Movement’s “Centre for Dialogue with People of Non religious Beliefs”. It is an initiative that began in 2014 in Uruguay to share with non-believing friends the values of the Word of Life, i.e. the phrase from Scripture that members of the Movement strive to put into practice in their daily lives. Currently, THE IDEA OF THE MONTH is translated into 12 languages and distributed in more than 25 countries, with adaptations of the text according to different cultural sensitivities. www. dialogue4unity.focolare.org

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