A good idea? Abigail Maxwell on a confused concept

‘The idea of good, or behaving according to the rules, might be the thorns which choke the seed of God within us.’

‘Good’ is a confused concept. Sometimes, it is harmful.

‘You do not have to be good,’ wrote the poet Mary Oliver. But children want to be good, to please their parents. It gives a sense of safety. Too many people retain this into adulthood. If I think I can discern the rules of a social situation, and conform to them, it still gives me an illusory sense of safety. I become a people-pleaser, always in a mask, not expressing my authentic self. I become anxious: will I be found out? Still, I catch myself seeking safety in this way.

Jesus said, ‘Why do you call me good? No-one is good except God alone’ (Mark 10:17-27). The rich young ruler’s question could be paraphrased ‘Good teacher, what must I do to be good?’ Obey the commandments, Jesus says. The man does that, but feels it is not enough. So Jesus tells him to give all his possessions away.

What good would giving everything away do for him? Possessions might give him a sense of safety. With his old barns torn down and bigger ones built and filled, he will always have something to eat. He has a sense of belonging with other rich people. He knows the rules in their company, and they affirm each other. Owning nothing, he knows he will never be safe. He must live on the possibilities of the world, as they appear. He only can ask for daily bread and no more.

Then he finds God within him. Shorn of the safety net, of the comforting expectations and rules of his society, he can no longer act from the mask of convention, but has to be his authentic self. He follows Jesus, who has nowhere to lay his head. This is the eternal life he has asked for. ‘No-one is good except God’ might mean there is no concept of ‘good’ that will save us, apart from our own humanity.

The idea of good, or behaving according to the rules, might be the thorns which choke the seed of God within us. But living on our wits, acting in the moment from feeling and desire, is also unsatisfying. Humans need the society of friends, so benefit from making decisions together. Acting for the common good is the most excellent way.

There are few rules which should apply to everyone.But all our actions, for service or pure pleasure, involve exploiting resources. A simple lifestyle freely chosen is a source of strength, but each must decide what complexities they must give up, and which they hold on to, at least for now. Rigid asceticism is not ‘good’, not eternal life, not a substitute for following God within.

Perhaps every human has a slightly differing conception of what is a good life, and we enrich each other when we share these ideas. But many will come in Jesus’ name, and they will lead many astray. So we share our experience, but our best guide is within.

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