Monday of the Twenty-fourth Week in Ordinary Time
Then Jesus went with them. And when he was not far from the house, the centurion sent word to him saying, “Sir, do not trouble yourself, for I am not worthy that you should enter under my roof. (Luke 7:6)
When the centurion says, “do not trouble yourself,” the Greek literally reads, “Do not skin yourself.” Scholars think this is slang from the late 1st or early 2nd centuries.
Although he wielded the power of the sword over his century (100 men), this centurion shows courtesy and humility towards Jesus, a Galilean peasant.
He recognizes that Jews do not associate with Gentiles and are defiled if they enter a Gentile’s home. Thus the phrase, “Don’t skin yourself.” Showing such deference was rarely seen by this fearsome officer who made underlings quake in their Roman boots by merely approaching them.
The America of 2023 seems to have moved beyond such considerations. Kindness is weakness. Respect is for
losers. Winning-or-losing has replaced right-or-wrong. Repeat a lie over and over and people will eventually believe it. Might-makes-right. Dominate. Scapegoat. Bully. Blame. We can’t hear one another if we’re yelling at one another. Society has become inverted.
What can we do? None of us will individually transform the world but we can change our small part of it. And the more each of us is willing to do our part the more impactful we can be.
Here are some practical ways of countering malignant meanness:
- Hold doors open for everyone
- Never interrupt
- Share the road with runners and bikers and other motorists
- Practice active listening
- Address people respectfully (as an elder I do not like “dude”)
- Look for common ground
- Disagree without being disagreeable
- Admit mistakes
- Reject as your mission convincing others to your way of thinking
- Let those with fewer items go ahead in the check out line
Each of these are small ways by which we can allow others “not to skin themselves.” Yet in the face of today’s politics and cultural divides, they are revolutionary. Never discount even the smallest gesture.
-Timothy J. Cronin