When Haman entered, the king asked him, "What should be done for the man the king delights to honor?" Now Haman thought to himself, "Who is there that the king would rather honor than me? – Esther 6:6

 Today's Scripture Reading (September 21, 2020): Esther 6

In 1993, Hans Küng, after consulting with scholars from many of the world's religions, released the "Declaration Toward a Global Ethic." Part of that declaration reads:

We must treat others as we wish others to treat us. We make a commitment to respect life and dignity, individuality and diversity, so that every person is treated humanely, without exception. We must have patience and acceptance. We must be able to forgive, learning from the past but never allowing ourselves to be enslaved by memories of hate. Opening our hearts to one another, we must sink our narrow differences for the cause of the world community, practicing a culture of solidarity and relatedness.

If there is one thing on which we all seem to be able to agree, whether it is as part of a world religion or even as an atheist considering how the world should operate, it is a concept we often call "The Golden Rule." Always treat others as you would want to be treated. Regardless of your political affiliation, regard the opposite side as you would hope that they will consider you. Regardless of which side of the race divide you might occupy, treat people from different races as you would want to be treated. Getting really radical, regardless of what you believe about sexual orientation, treat each other with the respect that you would like them to direct toward you. It doesn't mean that we cannot disagree with each other. But it does mean that we will treat each other with respect and gentleness, listening to the arguments not just so we can respond, but rather striving to understand.

Haman is not a believer in "The Golden Rule." He is a narcissistic leader who believes that the world exists to honor him while taking actions to exterminate a whole race of people who he considers to be unimportant. And so, when Xerxes comes to him asking how the King should honor someone in his kingdom, Haman assumes that the King is talking about him. As a result, Haman gets out a laundry list of the things that he would like to have done in his honor.

Of course, the reader understands the error in Haman's thinking. We know that it is Mordecai that Xerxes desires to honor. And while Haman might have been trying to glorify himself and not fulfill "The Golden Rule," the reality is that Haman is about to give to his enemy precisely what he wished would be given to him. Haman would treat Mordecai as he hoped that he could be treated, but not because "The Golden Rule" is a principle is one on which we can all agree, but because, in his narcissism, he misread the situation and has the principle forced on him by the King.  

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Esther 7