Dear friends,
My new book Reviving the Golden Rule is less than two weeks away. It will be available in paperback, Kindle, and audiobook.
In anticipation of its release on October 2nd, I’m sharing a 60-second meditation on how the golden rule helps us read the Bible with love at the center. I’m also sharing Part 1 of my conversation about the book with Lisa Jernigan on the Amplify Peace Podcast.
I hope you’ll pre-order your copy of Reviving the Golden Rule, gift one for a neighbor, and join me in this healing work of renewal.
Is It Biblical?
“[Love God and love your neighbor as yourself.] All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”
– Jesus (Matthew 22:37-40)
The Bible gets quoted by various people for varying purposes. The implications can be massive. How do we know who’s reading the Bible right?
According to Jesus, love is the litmus test of legitimate Bible interpretation. If our reading doesn’t lead us to love God and love our neighbors as ourselves, we’ve missed the point. And for Jesus, “neighbor” means everyone. Only readings that guide us to treat others as our beloved neighbors are truly biblical.
When you hear someone invoke the Bible, ask, “Is this leading me to love others as myself?” and discern accordingly.
This meditation was originally published by Red Letter Christians on August 14, 2025. Dig deeper into the biblical foundations of the golden rule in my book Reviving the Golden Rule: How the Ancient Ethic of Neighbor Love Can Heal the World (IVP Academic), out on October 2nd.
Podcast:
Amplify Peace: The Boy Who Changed Everything
Lisa Jernigan is the president of Amplify Peace and a peacemaker I hold in deep affection and admiration. We met at a retreat several years ago. I’ll never forget hearing Lisa speak on our belovedness in God. I drove away that day with joy and sadness. Joy, because her teaching spoke profoundly to my heart. Sadness, because I didn’t grow up hearing women preach in my church and knew how impoverished my community and I have been by this exclusion.
I was so honored when Lisa asked me to talk with her about Reviving the Golden Rule on the Amplify Peace podcast. Her introduction gets to the heart of the conversation:
“What would change if you treated everyone you encounter today as your neighbor? Not just the people you like and agree with, but the stranger, the critic, even your enemy? Today we look at why the most familiar teaching of Jesus – “Love your neighbor as yourself” – is actually the most revolutionary and why we’ve grown numb to its power.” Lisa Jernigan
Lisa begins by asking me why I wrote this book, and I share a story that’s very near to my heart. It’s about an Ethiopian boy named Eyob whom I met on the streets of Addis. I hope this conversation nourishes you and revives your practice of the golden rule. Listen on your preferred platform here.
Yours with anticipation,
Andrew
