The 5-Word Philosophy That Still Speaks to Me

From time to time on Twitter, someone will invite others to define themselves or their faith or their favorite movie through limited words: “Without naming the movie, tell the story in four words,” they’ll write, and an amusing few minutes may be spent reveling in just how creative people can be. My favorite invitation is “Tell the Gospels in five words,” or similarly, “Jesus’ message in five words.” My answers change depending on what is happening in the world and also my own mood. Recently, after watching tweeters heap judgement upon each other daily, usually with astonishing energy and a true sense of glee, my answer to that last was “Get off each other’s backs.” That may not be as perfect a response as Mother Teresa’s famous “Five Finger Gospel” (“You did it to me”), but I still think “Get off each other’s…