Preparing the Way: Do No Harm

  Preparing the Way: Three Simple Practices

Do No Harm

Romans 13:8-10

Rev. Monte Marshall 

Well, Advent is upon us!  A new year on the church calendar begins today so happy New Year, everyone!  The theme for this year’s Advent observance is Preparing the Way:  Three Simple Practices.  We’re preparing the way for a fresh encounter with the coming of Christ that serves to enhance God’s transforming work within us. And we’ll be hearing more about the three simple practices in the sermons each Sunday, in a several Sunday School classes, and through daily devotionals that include opportunities for morning, midday and evening meditations during the season.  These daily devotionals will be distributed weekly.

With that said, let’s pray.  PRAYER.

This year’s Advent theme is derived from a book by the late United Methodist bishop, Reuben Job, entitled Three Simple Rules:  A Wesleyan Way of Living.  In the preface to his book, Bishop Job makes an observation about life in the world as we know it.  He writes:  “We live in such a fast-paced, frenzied, and complex world that it is easy to believe we are all trapped into being someone we do not wish to be and living a life we do not desire to live.  We long for some way to cut through the complexities and turbulence of everyday life.  We search for a way to overcome the divisiveness that separates, disparages, disrespects, diminishes, and leaves us wounded and incomplete.  We know deep within that the path we are on is not healthy or morally right and that it cannot lead to a positive ending.  We fear that there is no way out.”

He also notes that “The path we are on has become…well worn….[W]e see the devastating cost of going on as we are.  Continuing on as we are is no longer a viable option.  The risks are too high and the results too costly.  But where are we to turn, what are we to do?”

Bishop Job suggests that we turn to God, “the One who created us, formed us, and loves us as we are and yet always seeks to lead us to become more than we are.”  He directs us to Jesus and the greatest commandment of all:  to love God and to love our neighbors as ourselves.[1]

And then, Bishop Job points us to the roots of our United Methodist heritage.  He reminds us that the founder of our movement, John Wesley, adopted and taught three simple rules that were to be practiced by the people called Methodists:  “Do no harm.  Do good.  Stay in love with God.”[2] 

These three simple rules have enabled countless Methodist followers of Jesus through the years to chart a radically different course from the way of the world.  And it’s to these three simple practices that we turn during this Advent season, to help us prepare the way for a fresh experience of the coming of Christ that will advance God’s transforming work in us and in the world.

Our focus today is on the first practice:  Do no harm.  When I hear these three words, I can’t help but ask myself:  Have I done harm?  And of course, I have.  When I consider all of the times in my life when I’ve said, “I’m sorry,” or “Will you please forgive me?” I realize that I’ve done harm.  And I’ve had to say those words a lot over the course my 63 years, especially to my wife and my two boys.  They’ve seen me at worst.  They know better than I the harm that my words and deeds have caused. 

But there’s more to it than that.  I’ve said hurtful and hateful things about other people and to other people.  I’ve raised my voice in anger, attempting to dominate, intimidate and control others.  I’ve lied to people and about people.  I’ve gossiped about people.  When I was a kid, I sometimes tried to get my way by hitting other people, mostly my younger brothers.

I’ve done harm by being complacent and keeping silent in the face of evil.  I’ve done harm to the poor and the hungry of the world by hording and consuming more of the earth’s resources than is just.  I’ve done harm by carelessly contributing to the degradation of our environment.  I’ve done harm vicariously through my tax dollars that our government has used in my name to wage war and kill people and torture people and oppress people and abuse people.

As far as I’m concerned, Bishop Job is right,  I know deep within that doing harm “is not healthy or morally right and that it cannot lead to a positive ending.”[3]  But on the other hand, I don’t fear that there is no way out.  In fact, I’m staking my life on a fundamental claim of the gospel that the way of Jesus, rooted and grounded in the love of God, is the way out.  And living in the loving way of Jesus means doing no harm.  Love means doing no harm.                 

Paul knew this about the gospel.  In this morning’s scripture reading, Paul speaks of love:  “Let love be your only debt!”  He speaks of love as the fulfilment of Torah or the Law:  “If you love others, you have done all that the Law demands.”  Paul even echoes the witness to Jesus in several of the gospels when he summarizes the commandments of the Law not in two phrases as with the Great Commandment, but in one phrase that is a part of the Great Commandment:  “’Love others as much as you love yourself.” 

When Paul samples some of the Torah commandments, it seems to me that he foreshadows a point he will make two sentences later about doing no harm.  To “Be faithful in marriage,” for example, is to avoid the harm caused by being unfaithful in marriage.  “Do not murder” is a command to do no harm.  “Do not steal” is a command to do no harm.  “Do not want what belongs to others” is a command to do no harm.  Paul makes all of this explicit in verse 10:  “No one who loves others will harm them.”  He then reiterates his point:  “So love is all that the Law demands.”[4]

Now I don’t know about you, but “do no harm” is a practice that I want in my life.  But then again, I don’t want it— which means that there are obstacles to overcome in my life if I want to move forward with this practice.  For example, I’m concerned that doing no harm may require more self-discipline and faith than I possess.  I can relate to Bishop Job’s comment that “To agree to take this first step is for many of us to agree with a theology and a practice too rigorous for our timid and tame commitment.”  He then poses the question:  “If this step is so simple and so easily understood, why then do so many do so much harm?”  He then answers the question:  “Because it is not an easy rule; and it does demand a radical trust in God’s presence, power, wisdom and guidance and a radical obedience to God’s leadership.”  He then writes:  “Practicing our faith in the world requires our deepest resolve, our greatest faith, our unwavering trust, and a very, very, large measure of God’s grace.”[5]

So that’s one obstacle, but for me, there’s another:  I’m afraid of the consequences of doing no harm.  I’m worried that if I commit to the practice, I’ll find myself too vulnerable and too much at risk.  And if I do make the commitment to do no harm, will others who don’t share my commitment, end up doing harm to me?  Bishop Job writes:  “The risk seems so great and often our fears speak so much louder than our faith.”[6]  Amen to that!  I know exactly what he means.

But here’s the deal, at least for me.  Despite the obstacles, I still want to follow Jesus in doing no harm.      

But I need help.  I need to see those three simple words in front me every day.  I need to rehearse them in my head over and over again.  I need to hold myself accountable for putting those three simple words into practice.  I need for you to hold me accountable for putting those three simple words into practice. 

In fact, in the early days of Methodism, the Methodist structure of small group meetings was designed to help Methodists follow the three simple rules.  The small group gatherings engaged Methodists in encouraging one another and holding one another accountable for living out the three simple practices, including the first one:  do no harm.  Perhaps it’s time in our day and age, to revisit this model for forming and growing disciples.

And just imagine with me, how our lives and the world might be different if we actually did no harm.  Revisit with me parts of our opening liturgy for the lighting of the candle.  As I was composing this piece last week, my imagination was set afire by the vision of a world in which no harm is done, perhaps the flame of your imagination well be kindled as well:   

 Prepare the way!

Christ is coming!

Straighten the path!

Level the ground!

Christ is coming!

Travel the straightened path.

Traverse the level ground.

Walk in the light:

Do no harm

Lie no more

Insult no more

Cheat no more

Steal no more

Bully no more

Oppress no more

Hurt no more

Abuse no more

Hate no more

Wound no more

Bomb no more

Kill no more

Do no harm

Prepare the way!

Christ is coming!

 

I give you the gift of silence to add your own words to this vision of a world in which no harm is done.  Picture a blank followed by the words “no more.”  Fill in the blank with a word that expresses harm to you.  SILENCE

Can we imagine it—a world in which no harm is done?  Do we desire it?  Can the world be changed to achieve it?  If we believe that it can, then our direction is clear:  Follow Jesus and be the change that we seek.  Do no harm.  Thanks be to God!  Amen.