Do Unto Others

Have you ever seen someone do something special for a stranger and admired the person who did this random act of kindness?

You probably recognized the first three words of the golden rule: “Do unto others as you would them do unto you.” We owe this “rule” to Jesus as people were wondering about religious laws and rituals that could be complex. 

When asked for an explanation, Jesus shared the parable of the Good Samaritan. Samaritans were pariahs at the time. Jesus told how a wounded man who had been robbed (imagine today’s homeless) was avoided by priests. The Samaritan was the only one who stopped to help the man.

Today the expression “Good Samaritan” is part of language to describe someone willing to help without judging, and without expecting anything back. It’s a tough example to follow. Everyday in Vancouver, I see homeless people on our sidewalks. It can be overwhelming. I’m guilty of judging these people and of blaming the authorities. I have a long way to go to become a good Samaritan.

The complete story needs to include the answer Jesus gave when asked about the greatest commandments. He replied: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself. There is no commandment greater than these.”

Bible scholars will forgive my simplifications. 

I hope non-Christians will not be offended.

And I’ll be the first one to agree that all religions, including Christians, are often plagued with leaders that manipulate the messages of their religion for their own benefit. 

I just find that “Do Unto Others as you wish Done to You.” is a powerful Life Pivoting Principle.

My friend, Carlos Vargas, exemplifies the simplicity of this principle. He created Esperanza De Vida, one of the most important NGO in Guatemala. He’s a very religious man and he explained: “I never heard the voice of God, but I heard a baby cry.” to explain his commitment to rescuing babies at risk. Thousands of babies live today because he heard a baby cry and took initiative to live the principle of doing unto others as you wish done to you.

Commission vs Omission

There’s a lot of people who interpret the idea to “live and let live” as justifying to do nothing except avoiding hurting others. In my opinion, Google’s former motto “Don’t be evil” was an example that as long as you didn’t do (omission) bad things to others that you lived a principled life. Google dropped the motto after being sued by employees refusing to do tasks they saw as evil.

Jesus’ message is the opposite. He asks us to take initiative to serve others. It requires a commitment to being aware of others’ needs and doing something about them. You cannot be blind and choose to avoid the needs of others in trouble.

I chose the silhouette of a mother with her child as my image for this chapter because a mother is a perfect example of being aware of needs and providing the solution to that need.

Take initiative

If you follow this principle, you cannot be passive. My original title for this chapter was Be of Proactive Service. It’s a mouthful and a bit too business-ish for something that is very simple. Bonnie is my example for this. She is constantly aware of people’s needs and she is very quick to take initiative to serve that need.

This quality fits very well with our choice to be entrepreneurs. Entrepreneur is the French noun for the verb “entreprendre” which has three key meanings:

1. To undertake, to take responsibility and to commit
2. To initiate, to launch, to establish
3. To begin, to open

We see needs. We take initiative to satisfy the needs of the people we serve.

Expect nothing back

It can be tempting to help others with expectations of a returned favour. This is not in line with this principle. The act of kindness becomes a transaction with expectations. Jesus explained further that we’re to serve the humblest, the little children and the downtrodden who have no ability to pay us back.

The image I chose also illustrates how a mom serves a young child without any expectations that the child can serve her back at that moment.

Charity wisdom

Thanks to the example of good friends, Bonnie and I have learned to donate wisely to causes we believe in. I have spent quite a bit of time studying “Charity” and charities to avoid regrets when donating. Here are some observations and resources that may help:

1. Get your finances in order. It’s like putting your oxygen mask first in an airplane before helping others put their mask on. All religions recommend giving a portion of your income, usually 10%, to people who need it more than you. Hard to do if your budget is a mess.
2. Build a charity account until the amount matters. Monthly donations on your credit card are nice, but rather ineffective. A good portion of your donation will go to “administration” costs. And it may increase your debt. On the other hand building a nice amount of money will directly impact your recipients.
3. Maximize charity tax benefits. If you save taxes, you’ll be able to give more. And your funds will likely be more impactful than if left with your government to handle.
4. Protect the dignity of the recipient. You want to empower, not reduce the person’s confidence. Your gift has to be an act of faith in them. Read Toxic Charity by Robert D. Lupton
5. Get your hands dirty. Get personally involved. Go onsite to see the needs and understand the solutions needed.
6. Teach a man to fish. Your knowledge may be more valuable than your money. You know the proverb. Give a man a fish and you feed him for one day. Teach a man how to fish and you feed him for life.
7. Focus on your relationship with the “other”. One of my favourite photos was taken way up in the mountainous jungle of Guatemala. A wealthy CEO is showing photos of his children to a local mom. Their differences are erased as they’re simply two parents proud of their kids.
8. Feet on the ground. Take time to find local people you totally trust. 
9. Other People’s Money. Charity is best when personal, meaning when paid with our own cash directly to the recipient. My belief in this matter may offend some organizations. Watch the 2014 documentary Poverty Inc to understand our opinion, and explain what we observed.
   1. Charities targeting consumers are very inefficient in the ratio of funds that actually reach recipients.
   2. The first purpose of organizations is their survival and expansion. This applies to charities as well as companies and governments. This is why you have to be careful of charities who constantly shift their missions to keep operating even though their original goals have been accomplished. They have morphed into a corporation.
   3. Don’t judge the rich harshly. The vast majority of donated funds comes from wealthy people.
   4. Government to government charity guarantees corruption.
   5. Government grants cause many charities to shift their mission or compromise their principles to receive such grants.
   6. Demand accountability and audit the use of funds.

---

Recommended from our bookshelf:

• Toxic Charity by Robert D. Lupton
• Leaving Microsoft to Change the World by John Wood
• Dead Aid by Dambisa Moyo
• Dreams are Cheap by Carlos Vargas