The Centrality of Integrity

Recently, I have been reflecting on a statement that Jesus makes in the sermon on the mount, where he says, "Again, you have heard that it was said to the people long ago, 'Do not break your oath, but keep the oaths you have made to the Lord.' But I tell you, Do not swear at all: either by heaven, for it is God's throne; or by the earth, for it is his footstool; or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the Great King. And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make even one hair white or black. Simply let your 'Yes' be 'Yes,' and your 'No,' 'No'; anything beyond this comes from the evil one." (Matthew 5:33-37)

At times, I have found myself puzzled by the force of this statement. Is the way in which we make (or break) promises really one of the potential domains of the evil one? Indeed, it is, in a most powerful way.

For a long time, I would have maintained that love is more important than anything else. Paul himself writes that when you boil everything down, faith, hope, and love are what remain, and the greatest is love. Never being one to disagree with the text of the Bible (at least not intentionally), I have come to realize that my definition of love needs amendment. Perhaps I am simply more blind than most, but I always interpreted Paul's statement that "love never fails" as being a general principle that love always somehow wins in the end.

However, I have come to realize that I have (rightly) placed a great deal of emphasis on kindness in my definition of love, but I have neglected another central aspect- the one which causes love, in the words of Paul, to never fail: integrity.

While I believe firmly that random acts of kindness are needed and valid, I have come to realize that kindness without character is really not love at all. I have become aware that all the random acts of kindness in the world cannot make up for a lack of character. If I promise you that I am going to come by and drive you to a doctor's appointment, and fail to show up, it doesn't matter how often I randomly show up at your doorstep with free pizza and a case of pop, or offer to take you on a road trip to any corner of North America at my own expense. The simple fact of it is that, as kind as I may try to be, I have failed to show love. Kindness comes easily, but what I end up being, in the end, is a very nice liar.

Much harder to build, then, is a simple consistency of character which says that I am going to be who I claim to be. I cannot be all things to all people- the key is to be passionately present in those places and with those people with whom I have agreed to be. While I know that there are theological reasons for Jesus to say what he said- cautions against blasphemy, for example- there is also the implication that while we might come across as nice people, even kind people, in the end we are useless and deceitful... that certainly does quality as being from the evil one.

So what does all this mean? I don't know really. Recently, I have become very much aware of how utterly frustrating and discouraging it is living in the presence of persons who simply not who they claim to be. That's not meant as a jab at anyone in particular. Rather, it is a call to introspection and repentance.

In taking the time to reflect on this sort of thing, I have to admit that I, too, am not the person I claim to be. The seeds of hypocrisy are like mold that proliferates in the dark- they wait to spring up when I am not actively letting the light of Christ shine in my corners.

Secondly, it is a call to action. Imagine a world where those of us who are part of the church are marked by unswerving character. Imagine if those who knew us were drawn to us by the way that we simply come through for them and for one another. Random acts of kindness are wonderful things, but they simply aren't enough- integrity is tied up in love and cannot be removed.

Without integrity, my acts of kindness are scattered and ineffective, at best an unfocused attempt to love in a meaningful way, and at worst, they are an attempt to atone for all the ways in which I simply have not been there as the man of God that I have purported to be. God help me, because that's where I find myself so many days... the worst part is, the people around me probably can't tell which one it is.

Those of us who are in Christ stand as proof of divine integrity- Jesus remained true to his calling and purpose. Regardless of what many moderns "scholars" would say, he was more than just a great example of humanity, or a great teacher. His obedience to God was an aspect of the integrity of his love- a love that carried him in obedience to a Roman cross.

Anyway, I hope I am making sense. I figured it's better to just let this stuff spill out... after all, I'm not writing a theology textbook.