Doing the Right Thing

Preachers tell the story of the passion play, presented in a big city park during the holy week of the Christian tradition. As the actors processed up a hillside, the young man portraying Christ carried a heavy cross. At the top of the hill, a hostile spectator confronted the man portraying Christ and yelled out, "This cross myth is so hokey pokey that you look like a buffoon." The actor laid down the cross, walked over to the heckler, and punched him square in the mouth.

After the presentation, the director said to the actor, "Look, you are playing Christ. For heaven's sake, you can't punch people." The actor apologized and promised he would not do it again.

The very next day, the troublemaker was waiting for the young man. He began to yell, "You bird-brained clown!" The actor could not help himself. He placed the cross on the ground, walked over to his nemesis, and punched him in the nose.

As soon as the play ended, the director fired the Christ-actor. The actor, distraught, started to weep. He pleaded for another chance. Reluctantly, the director said, "You can go on, but if you lose your temper again, this is it."

The next day, as the procession reached the hill, the adversary, with stitches across his face, yelled louder than ever, "There is no such historical account of this crap about a cross!" The actor gently placed the cross on the ground. He walked up to the bête noire, and with a grimace on his face, said, "Sir, you'd better hope I don't run into you after the resurrection."

Let me just say to all my colleagues, it is often hard to do the right thing. But when it comes to our relationships with each other, we must. We must also remember that we are not righteous for only doing slightly fewer wrong things than the other side.