Monday, May 2, 2011
An Identity of Integrity
My father says there are two kinds of men: Men who keep their word, and men who don't. When i was younger I thought that was an oddly black-and-white saying from a man who has always taught me to see every side of a discussion but as I grow older I see the wisdom in those words. Integrity is the true measure of a man; whether or not you can trust him is more important than whether you agree on politics or if you like the same kind of Chinese food. In the post-modern age we tend to be obsessed with meta-labels whilst screaming against the validity of the very language we use to label people however the fact is that the words of Plato ring true: "You'll learn more of a man in an hour of play than a lifetime of conversation." Does the man cheat? Does he lose well? Win well? Is he overly competitive or rude? How he shows himself as his heart pounds in his chest will tell you how the man acts when his blood rushes and that, that will tell you if he has integrity and that will tell you his identity more than any label ever could.
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Although there is some truth in what your father says about playing a game with a man versus talking to him face to face, I think there really is more to it than just that. Integrity is not what you appear to be when all eyes are on you. It is who you are when no one is looking. It's a level of morality below which you never fall, no matter what's happening around you. It is The Golden Rule. A man of integrity says something and means it. He knows to let his "yes" be "yes" and his "no" be "no." When placed in a possibly compromising situation, he will stand strong in what he believes. I guess that might be what you mean by playing a game alongside someone else...sportsmanship, cheating, verbal comments, etc. Those can all be very revealing of one's character. The Psalms talk about integrity, too. In Psalm 7:8 we read "Judge me, O Lord, according to my righteousness, and according to my integrity within me." Can you imagine being judged by your integrity? Scary thought. I think when we try to wrap our minds around that concept that our identity starts to shift a little. Integrity and identity should be strongly connected. Wouldn't you agree?
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