A good reputation is worth its weight in gold.
In a perfect world, we would let our yes be yes and our no be no. No room would be allowed for gray areas when it came to honesty. All of us would seek to do unto others as we would have them do unto us. Who doesn’t want to be treated with kindness, respect, and patience in every situation? This includes situations where such generosity is inconvenient and/or difficult, especially if the recipient is dead wrong. On the other hand, this would mean each one of us would have to listen to error in her hurtful ways and figure out how not to repeat the offense. Finally, no one would lose faith in us because our actions would be transparent and never appear questionable.
What I describe is a slice of heaven, obtainable only if God’s counsel is followed perfectly. Still, there is nothing to stop us from reaching for this ideal and idyllic state. Our friends, family, and co-workers would appreciate the resulting calm and peace of mind. We could all be trusted to speak plainly, act honorably, and to change for the better. What a wonderful reputation to have!
But I also want to suggest our nation would become greater if we demanded this integrity from our elected officials as well. Politicians telling lies to get elected cannot be the status quo. American voters must elect the candidates who show a propensity for balancing the needs of every citizen. (I will speak about a difficult and complex subject. I do not support looting and burning down neighborhoods for any reason, but I do understand the frustration from which it arises. I will support the candidate who is for law and order, fairly executed, in these situations AND is committed to addressing the concerns of populations dealing with long-term economic and social inequality.)
Finally, politicians should be held to a higher standard. They want to accept the big responsibility of being our voice and our representatives as decisions are made about how to best protect the health of this nation. They must find the discipline not to participate in any behavior, public or private, that could appear to be “evil”. Do not use a private email server for classified material so that thousands of missing emails do not seem very suspicious. Do not ever laugh and talk about how famous men can sexually assault women because it makes one seem like a very scary predator when women speak up and say there have been many incidences of sexual aggression.
Politicians should shun the appearance of being on a reality show and strive to do a better job of being public servants who are working to protect the unity of our country.
