Oct. 3, 2025

Resurrecting the Golden Rule—A Conversation on Love, Justice, and Community

Resurrecting the Golden Rule—A Conversation on Love, Justice, and Community

In the latest episode of the To Be Encouraged podcast, host Rev. Dr. Brad Miller sits down with Bishop Julius C. Trimble for a timely and powerful discussion around the urgent need to “resurrect” the Golden Rule in today’s often discouraging world. The Golden Rule—“Do unto others as you would have them do unto you”—is a core tenet not just of Christianity, but of many faith and ethical traditions. Yet, as Bishop Trimble passionately points out, this simple principle is missing in much of today’s public discourse and policies. Here are three key takeaways from this impactful episode:

1. The Golden Rule Is More Than a Platitude—It’s a Call to Action

Throughout the episode, Bishop Trimble emphasizes that the Golden Rule isn’t just a sentimental phrase or a passive ideal. It’s a moral compass and a practical guide for how we engage with our neighbors—especially those we find difficult to love. He explains, “The kind of love that holds us accountable for the Golden Rule... requires a certain amount of discipline.” True love, as Trimble highlights, is not passive or ‘jellyfish love’ but instead demands active engagement, accountability, and a commitment to justice.

He recalls the words of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr: “Hate cannot drive out hatred, only love can do that. Darkness cannot drive out darkness, only light can do that.” In a society wrestling with violence and retribution, Bishop Trimble issues a challenge to become “unapologetic promoters of love and justice.”

2. Justice and the Golden Rule Go Hand in Hand

The conversation branches into how justice—in healthcare, economics, and public policy—must be rooted in the Golden Rule. Bishop Trimble points to modern policy decisions, such as cuts to healthcare or social services, as clear violations of doing unto others as we would have done to us. He connects these issues with both biblical teachings and the historic Methodist tradition of social justice, quoting the Methodist Social Creed of 1908 and stressing the need for “complete justice for all... in all stations of life.”

The episode reminds listeners that loving our neighbor means standing up for the most vulnerable and marginalized among us. “Oppression is never acceptable,” Bishop Trimble says, echoing a theme throughout the conversation: It’s always the right time to do the right thing, especially when it impacts those with the least power.

3. Practical Steps: Find Your People, Respond with Beauty, Take Initiative

Rev. Dr. Miller and Bishop Trimble agree that revitalizing the Golden Rule requires practical steps. One inspiring suggestion is the “Find Three Friends” strategy: identify people in your life you can talk with, pray with, and share both your joys and anxieties regarding the state of the world. The two leaders encourage responding to hatred and ugliness with beauty and kindness—“making more beautiful music” in the face of intolerance.

Moreover, Rev. Dr. Miller cites Eugene Peterson’s take on Matthew 7:12—“Ask yourself what you want people to do for you, then grab the initiative and do it for them.” The episode closes with a rousing call to active compassion: take initiative, call out injustice, support those on the front lines, and never forget that the core of our faith beckons us to treat others as we wish to be treated.


If you’re looking for hope and practical steps for living out your faith in a troubled world, this episode of To Be Encouraged is a must-listen reminder that resurrecting the Golden Rule may be the challenge—and the encouragement—our world needs most right now.