DO NO HARM TO YOURSELF!

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily for this 6^th Tuesday after Easter  is, “Do No Harm To Yourself.”

In today’s first reading Paul and Silas are stripped and beaten and thrown into prison.

The magistrates told the jailer to guard them securely.  Hearing that  - the jailer put them in the innermost cell and secured their feet to a stake.

Around midnight Paul and Silas were singing and praying to God as the other prisoners listened. 

Suddenly there was a severe earthquake and the doors opened and the chains of all were pulled free.

The noise and uproar that came next  woke up the jailer.

Seeing the doors wide open drew his sword to kill himself. He thought everyone escaped.

Paul shouted to him, “Do no harm to yourself; we are all here.”

ONE PHRASE

I look for something practical to preach about - and that phrase “Do no harm to yourself - hit me. It’s just the first half of that text in Acts 16: 28.  “Do no harm to yourself.”

It’s something I need to hear.

When my skin gets raised, I scratch it. Sometimes that means a cut and then a scab and then I pick it.

I have to hear my mind say, “Do no harm to yourself.”

People who drink or smoke - when nervous - or down - when they feel the need to sedate themselves or nicotine themselves a bit - they need to remember the words of Paul, “Do no harm to yourself.”

So too overeating…. So too not exercising …. So too taking too much sugar - at least that’s when I have to hear. “Do no harm to yourself.”

ANCIENT DOCTOR’S CODE

It’s not in the Hippocratic Oath, but it is ancient medical books for educating doctors - down through the years. “Primum non nocere.” First, do no harm.

Doctors have to realize the implications of each and every pill and operation they recommend to people.

People having abortions and those who do them - have to think about  the consequences these actions have - not just killing a human being - but also harming the parents and decisions makers for death.  Do no harm.

CONSEQUENCES

Those who live by the sword, die by the sword.

Those who tear down people - with their descriptions - better realize the consequences of their comments.

Looking up stuff about this last night, a lot of things hit me.

I noticed an article by Monica Lewinski in today’s New York Times - talking about Roger Ailes after his recent death.

She said he had his TV people hammer her 24/7 - and as a result of her affair the people were calling her words you don’t want anyone to hear.

She said she basically became 1 dimensional and Roger Ailes’ TV station became a the # 1 TV news station making 2.3 Billion Dollars - last year. She survived. She didn’t go to jail as threatened. She didn’t commit suicide.

She doesn’t quote Jesus about stone throwing, but she does tell anyone who wants to read her article her take on what happened to her - the harm that was done to her because of her mistake. She said that there was harm done to the nation because of that whole approach to news that other stations as well had to follow suit. I don’t know what your take on all this would be, but I’m sure your reaction is in the 1009 comments to her article as of this morning.

CONCLUSIONS

What we say, what we do, what we watch, how we treat one another, all has consequences: good or bad - depending on whether it is good or bad - harmful or helpful.

Notes:

Painting on top: St. Paul in Prison.  This is by Rembrandt Harmensz, van Rijn. This scene is based on Philemon 1:0.  Today's first reading is from Acts 16: 22-34.