House of Selfishness

I am a big “House” fan. The main character (Dr. House played by Hugh Laurie) is a sarcastic, manipulative, egomaniacal jerk who shows glimpses of compassion and kindness when no one is looking. I suppose he reminds me of myself sometimes. This past week’s episode, “Sleeping Dogs Lie,” relay delved into the issue of bio-ethics, which is an increasingly more difficult field to traverse. Consider, what is appropriate to tell or not tell a patient or that patient’s loved ones? What should a doctor explain to the patient or should s/he simply perform procedures since most laypeople won’t understand anyway, and we just have to hope the doctor has our best interest in mind? Such issues are intricate and the gray area abounds.

Back to this past week’s episode. They needed a liver, and a woman’s life partner was perfect. But, the doctors found out some information – the sick girl intended to leave her. In other words, she was just going to use her for her liver. So the question was raised, should we inform the partner before she donates part of her liver? What is our responsibility to her? What is our confidentiality responsibility to the sick girl? House decided not to tell, because it was best for the patient. He is as Machiavellian as they come. For him, the ends do justify the means, and he will stop at nothing to cure his patients. On the one hand, his concern for the patient is laudable. On the other hand, curing the patient at the cost of hurting others just so he can be successful is condemnable. Over and over house struggles with his “inner demons” that make him the most lovable and hateable character on the show. He regularly butts heads on ethical decisions with Cameron. She portrays a real sympathy for the patients and acts as a balance to House’s apathy.

In all that there is a great exchange between the two that clearly contrasts a Kingdom mindset over a worldly one:

House: “You continue to be flabbergasted every time someone actually acts like a human being. Foreman did what he did because it works out best for him. That’s what everyone does.”
Cameron: “That is not the definition of being human. That’s the definition of being an ass.”

Selfishness is the anti-thesis of the human experience for which God created us. And until we all get that, our lives on this world will never enjoy the full life that Jesus promised.