COMMENTS THAT CRUSH

INTRODUCTION

The title and theme of my homily is, “Comments That Crush.”

If I asked you, “Have ever heard a comment about you – that crushed or really hurt you?” Would you think for a few minutes and then say, “No!”? Would you then notice that my face showed some surprise? Then as you walk away or talk away, you suddenly stop and say, “Yes! Wait a minute. I’m lying. There was one time when ….”

Has everyone had at least one good or better, bad moment in their life, when someone made a comment that crushed them – that felt one was walking down the street and a piano fell on them from up there as it was being lifted to go into a third floor apartment?

Boom! Crush! Smash! Wipe out!

TODAY’S READINGS

In today’s first reading from 2nd Samuel [2 Samuel 15:13-14, 30: 16: 5-13], David is attacked by a man named Shimei – the Son of Gera – of the same clan as Saul’s family.

Shimei throws stones at David and his officers. He curses David. He yells, “Absalom your son has taken over because you are a murderer.”

David’s officers and soldiers want to cut this guys head off – because of the stones and the cursing, etc. And David says, “No. Maybe the Lord is behind all this. Maybe there will be some benefits from all this cursing.”

In today’s gospel [Mark 5:1-20], Jesus has this crazy man come running up to him and saying, “Why are you meddling with me, Jesus, Son of God Most High.”

And we heard Jesus healing him and sending his voices, his curses, his demons into a heard of pigs who then run down a bluff – a hill –and into the lake.

I remember standing in a boat on the Lake of Galilee looking for possible places where this scene could have taken place – and there they were.

COMMENTS, CRITICISMS, DIGS

Shakespeare in Hamlet has the famous, “To Be or Not To Be” speech. Hamlet talks about “the slings and arrows” – the “whips and scorns” –“the oppressors wrong”, “the proud man’s contumely” the “pangs” “insolence” “spurns” of life.

To be – to be here – to be a human being – is to experience in a lifetime, comments, criticisms, digs, suggestions, stones and arrows – that hit us, kill us or crush us.

Come Holy Spirit. Help us to deal with the outrageous hurts others hurl at us – from time to time.

My niece Patty calls them “Ouches!” Whenever someone says something hurtful to another, she says, “Ouch!” and says it so profoundly.

Jesus certainly models turning the other cheek.

St. Lawrence – we hear every August – dealt with them with humor – when he told those burning him to death – “Turn me over, I’m done on this side.”

How well do I deal with comments that can crush? Let me give 4 first draft possibilities:

FIRST SUGGESTION: AWARENESS

A first step could be is to become aware that people often don’t know what they are saying. Years ago I was stationed with a short stout priest who once told me, “People are always giving me diets. People are always giving us fat people diets. They don’t know that fat people are giving themselves comments and diets – all day long – 7 days a week.” Sure enough I’m down at lunch that day and in walks another priest who puts his hand on this guy’s shoulder and says, “Hey big boy. I saw a great diet for you in the paper this morning.”

Awareness of our comments and other people’s comments can make us aware of the crushing power of comments. Just listen and you’ll hear people often making comments and corrections about other people’s clothes, hair, children, car, trunk, house, lawns, looks, weight, legs, hips, love handles, accent, skin color, political affiliation, etc. etc. etc.

SECOND SUGGESTION: UNDERSTANDING

A second step would be the hope that this can lead us to understanding of insensitivity and the lack of understanding of people towards people.

THIRD SUGGESTION: FORGIVENESS

A third step would be forgiveness – especially to take on Jesus’ prayer from the cross on the day he was being crushed: Good Friday, “Father forgive them. They don’t know what they are doing. "

FOURTH SUGGESTION: KEEP MOVING

In today’s first reading, David said, “Relax. Don’t react by trying to chop this guys head off.” Then notice how today's first reading ends, "David and his men continued on the road." Keep moving!

If presidents read their polls or watch niche political TV programs, they might want to chop heads off or even their own. The better move is to keep moving ahead with a plan and goal in mind.

In today’s gospel, Jesus does what he’s doing all through the gospels, healing people, trying to get their demons, their evil spirits, to spill out of them and then stampede like pigs running down the hill into the lake and are drowned – and that person is healed and goes home a new person. Amen.






P.S. Someone asked about this weekday homily after Mass this noon - so I'm posting it - with the comment that it's first draft stuff -weekday homily stuff - that I don't have enough time to develop, figure out better, etc. Go for it!