

John Wesley’s body of theological thought is complex and
extensive. It is challenging – and it is foundational to
understanding the depth of the General Rules.
But the rules represent the essence.
And the first of the rules encapsulates the rest. Wesley taught: “First – do no harm.” Rabbi Hillel's words echo in the background: The rest is
commentary and explanation. Go and
study.”


Those simple words are a great challenge in a complex
and frustrating world. What would our days be like if “Do no harm”
was the first thing in our minds when we woke up in the morning. Might our
lives become more holy if our days were structured by the intention to do no
harm? Would we temper our speech? Would the words remind us never to do or say
something to another person that we would not want them to do or say to
us? Would Wesley’s rule encourage us to
speak out when, indeed, we see the potential harm in any debate or law or
action going on around us?


The General Rules don’t
stop with the prohibition against doing
harm. Wesley includes a second general
rule. A little wordier, but pithy,
nonetheless: “It is expected of all who continue in these societies that they should
continue to evidence their desire of salvation, secondly, by doing good - - by
being in every kind merciful after their power; as they have opportunity, doing
good of every possible sort, and, as far as possible, to all people.”
The second general rule
echoes the words of Jesus: ”Love your
enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for
those who abuse you.” Once again in
Exodus there is an illustration of the combined principles of “do no harm - -do
good”:
the wisdom of Exodus 23:5: “When
you see the donkey of someone who hates you lying on the ground under its load,
and you would hold back from setting it free, you must help to set it free.” What on earth does helping an over-laden
donkey have to do with anything? Well -
- To whom does the donkey belong? Why –
lo and behold! - - It belongs to someone
who hates you. You feel absolutely
justified in leaving it alone. But the
command is to help set it free. Who do
you have to help in order to set the donkey free? Well – of course - -the owner who hates you! What does this accomplish? It fulfills the command to “do no harm” It fulfills the teaching to refrain from
doing something hateful to another being – even if it is a donkey. And – it fulfills the command to do good. By helping an enemy, the possibility for a
positive relationship is set in motion. The dynamics of a relationship are
changed. A certain kind of redemption is
set in motion. It is amazing how more
than 3000 years of wisdom and religious teaching interweave. Jewish law says help your enemy set his
loaded donkey upright.
Jesus says do
good to those who hate you. Wesley says
do no harm – do good.

All of these challenges are intended to wake us up to living
our lives with the highest possible intention for good. Rabbi Art Green sums it
all up this way: “Our faith awakens us from the sleep of unawareness and calls us to
release the bound, to raise up the fallen, to uplift those who are bent
over. In this we are doing godly work,
serving as the limbs of the divine presence in this world. It is only through our acting in this way
that God’s work is done in the human community.
And it is only by recognizing such acts as God’s work that we transcend
ourselves and our own needs in fulfilling them.”

“Do all the good you can, by all the
means you can, in all the ways you can, in all the places you can, at all the
times you can, to all the people you can, as long as ever you can.” So – there
it is: Do no harm. Do good.
All the rest is commentary and explanation. Go and study it. Go and live it.
Vicky Hanjian
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