Tag Archive for St.Paul

Doing the Time for the Crime

You did the crime, now do the time!  We’ve all heard this.  St. Paul probably heard it , too, ‘way back in Biblical days, when he was jailed for his faith, although most people today are “in” for unholy acts.  We call prisons “Correctional” and “Vocational” institutions.  We want people to learn their lesson, get out, and “sin no more.” Meanwhile, they’re hardened by a solitary, harsh life, made worse by friends and family who forget about them.

But basic humanity calls us to remember all members of our community, to support and embrace even people who have made terrible mistakes and have tried to turn their lives around.  You can help these people re-enter society as productive, law-abiding people simply by writing them, giving them a positive stake in the world they’ll be rejoining.  I can tell you where to find names.

A little afraid?  After research and years of writing prisoners, I’ve developed some simple guidelines to make writing a prisoner safe and comfortable for you.  Let me know and I’ll send you that information.

“Suffer Fools Gladly”

Enjoy the fun of the day, but, please, consider the person you’re pranking.  We’ve all been the butt of cruel April Fools jokes that have humiliated us, or watched jokes pulled on others that were obviously an expression of the jokester’s prejudices, using the day as an excuse.  These tricks not only feel bad but seem to give some legitimacy to cruelty and prejudices.

There are so many pranks that are harmless and so ingrained in our culture that few people are terribly embarrassed by them, like the Whoopie Cushion, switching the Push and Pull signs on a door, and putting hundreds of post-its all around someone’s office.

But something that is dangerous, will clearly mortify someone, makes a person look stupid, or is based on ethnics, gender, religion, or sexual orientation is not okay.  And that means no posting of the victim online, which makes it even worse.

So, go ahead and enjoy the day.  But be mindful of the person you’re pranking and how it will affect him or her.  Remember that your joke reflects who you are as a person.

By the way, the title of today’s posting is from St. Paul.  If you want to know the context and meaning, you can find it at 2 Corinthians, verse 11:19.