Prescription for a Better Me

“You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ But I say to you, Do not resist the one who is evil. But if anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if anyone would sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well. And if anyone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles. Give to the one who begs from you, and do not refuse the one who would borrow from you. You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” (Matthew 5:38-48 ESV). John E. Bell received a new pacemaker on April 17. What makes Mr. Bell’s case so unusual is the fact that this is his second pacemaker. Doctors installed the first when he was 104. It failed after 11 years. So, at 115 years of age, Mr. Bell received a second, new lease on life! Dr. Ronald Berger, the cardiologist who implanted the device during surgery at Johns Hopkins Hospital, observed, “He outlived the battery. He deserves to have a heartbeat for as long as the rest of his body allows him to. I’ll be delighted to replace the pacemaker when he’s 125.” How does a person live for 115 years? Mr. Bell offered this summary of his personal secret: “I treat everybody like they should be treated. God said, ‘Feed his sheep’.” Mr. Bell’s Baltimore neighbors know him well as the “mayor of Oldtown,” and they have honored him for his work among the poor and for his efforts at community cleanup. Except for a stroke a decade ago and the glaucoma that robbed him of sight in his left eye, Mr. Bell remains in good health. The truth is that when people remove themselves from the center of the universe, wonderful things usually happen to them and everyone else. The best way to take care of yourself might be to develop a good case of self-forgetfulness! Think for a moment. On the job: How would your fellow employees respond to your decision to relate to them with respect, kindness, and civility. What might happen if you began really caring for everyone who works with you or for you? At home: If you intentionally responded to your children and your mate with consistent, thoughtful concern and attention, what would result? Would your relationships improve, remain the same or deteriorate? In your neighborhood: What if you gave your friends and neighbors what they needed? What if you thought of them before thinking of yourself? You can extend the list into every corner of your life. Here’s the ultimate challenge for your life: to have it said of you, “He deserves to have a heartbeat for as long as the rest of his body allows him to.” How about you?