Ethical choices often come into contradiction. Two of the prime principles for living are doing the good and doing no harm.  We all want to do the good. That seems like a non-brainer until doing the good harms another.  A surgeon friend of mine told me that he was trained “never to cut anything he could not put back.” 

I know that when I began my public ministry 26 years ago I was in a lather to do the good. Now I pray to do no harm. That is a commentary on stamina as well as maturity.  Doing the good is not as simple as I had thought.  Doing no harm is the first imperative.