The Panda says it all
Fri May 6th, 2005
At a pre-election meeting in York a prospective parliamentary candidate turned up in a Panda suit, standing for "Integrity and other endangered species".
Besides being very clever, it unfortunately pointed out the truth that integrity is an endangered characteristic in our society – and possibly in our churches!
Election turnout has been falling for a long time in the UK and less people are exercising their vote. Where postal voting has been encouraged to try and turn this around, there have been suggestions of fraud, and there is great suspicion over this practice.
The war in Iraq has again brought to focus the questionable honesty of senior politicians, and even those who have called our Prime Minister a liar leave you with the doubt that they would have acted any differently. There is a widespread belief that politicians deceive us.
In 1982 Steve Taylor wrote the song "Whatever happened to sin?" which included these lyrics as the last verse:
A politician next door Swore he'd set the Washington Arena on fire Thinks he'll gladiate them But they're gonna make him a liar Well he's a good ole boy Who was born and raised In the buckle o' the Bible Belt But remember when you step Into your voting booth He'll never lie He'll just embellish the truth Promises were made to be broken, right? You've gotta play the game to win When you need supporting Tell 'em that you're born again Whatever happened to sin?
Over twenty years on the phenomena is well established in the UK – not so much people claiming to be Christian to get votes – but telling us what we want to hear.
At the 2005 election I found myself voting for the 'least-worst' party. I found this very sad – that I couldn't vote for the best – because there wasn't one!
Christianity magazine (May 2005) pointed out the low accuracy rating of our national newspapers in reporting the 'Faithworks Lectures',(www.faithworks.info) where the leaders of the main political parties addressed the Christian community. If the newspapers can't report these events accurately, how can we trust them in general?
Even our schools do not consistently challenge our children these days about telling lies. It is normal for employees to lie to their employers and unfortunately commonplace the other way around too. It was Sir Robert Armstrong, Margaret Thatcher's cabinet secretary who made the phrase 'economical with the truth' famous in 1986. This was a politically correct way of saying 'lie'. Politicians have been economical for some time.
Bill Clinton will always be remembered for having said "I did not have sexual relations with that woman." Enough said!
It is hard to find people in public life that we can depend on as being honest. Like Pilate they cry out:
John 18:38 "What is truth ?" Pilate asked NIV
In a society that believes that the 'white lie' is always justified and that the off-white lie is very little different, we are called to stand out and be different.
Col 3:9 Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices NIV
Jesus warned us not to be dishonest at all as:
Luke 16:10 whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much. NIV
So in the church we must work very hard to ensure that we are honest at all times.
Titus 2:7 In your teaching show integrity , seriousness 8 and soundness of speech that cannot be condemned, so that those who oppose you may be ashamed because they have nothing bad to say about us. NIV
I recently received an unsolicited mass email from someone marketing a Christian website of a preacher who was discredited in the 1980's for his sexual immorality. Besides the lack of integrity in the method by which my attention was attracted, I also noted no mention of the incident on his website. Business as usual was the message.
The cover-up has become an art form in some churches that still claim to be Christian. Dealing with sexual immorality is sidestepped by the clever use of 'Biblical sounding phrases' to justify their position.
Forgiveness is real, but so are consequences. Selective use of the scripture to justify one's position is not valid, and although there may be none of us who can be totally guiltless, it is time to clean house. Jesus went into the temple and overturned the tables. We need to do the same in our churches before it is too late.
In the church leadership at the Ark we have discussed what we can do to make sure we are operating at maximum integrity. Examples are that we step aside from hiding the gospel message or sneaking it in. If we have an event like our children's drama club – the description should be accurate. It isn't a concealed vehicle for the gospel – it is an investment in the community and a bridge to show that we are OK, but we don't covertly use it a vehicle to preach. Our kids' workers are the hands and feet of Jesus, but we don't say it is one thing and then do another.
We admit that we are a church, we don't hide the fact. We don't look for opportunities to trick people into coming to a church service. We describe accurately what will happen and we stick to it. For instance our website has reviews of services to help people know what to expect.
When we are wrong, we admit it. If we are publicly wrong we admit it publicly.
Matters of a serious nature are announced – not allowed to pass by rumour.
When it comes to gossip – this is anathema. Leaders do not have a right to discuss people's private lives and then pass it on. Confidentiality is essential and should be expected, unless a cover-up needs exposing. By that I mean that information shared at a counselling level should be considered sacrosanct, but that the covering up of a criminal offence or a matter that brings the testimony of Jesus into disrepute is not allowed.
When it comes to matters that are sensitive in society, like homosexuality, abortion or evolution, we should not become an 'issue-church', but we must speak the truth. We must aim for love – Jesus told us to
John 13:34 "A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. NIV
So we do not make offensive or discriminatory statements, but we do speak Biblical truth and tell it how it is. We are being lied to about scientific evidence on evolution. Abortion is murder. Deviant sexual behaviour is sin – whether adultery, fornication, homosexuality, incest, paedophilia or bestiality. We have nothing against sinners – because we have all sinned! But just because something is commonplace or private, it doesn't mean we should lie about it's nature. If it is sin, then lets call it that.
We are not perfect, so pray for us, but unless we make a start towards changing the expectation of the church and the world, we will see our society slip further down into an abyss of dishonesty at every level. We must be salty:
Matt 5:13 "You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men. NIV
Much of the western church has been trampled by men because it has not been salty.
The honest answer is the best answer. Let us all learn to be honest so we will always have an answer for our nation and our world.
Col 4:6 Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt , so that you may know how to answer everyone. NIV
Maximum integrity is integrity all the time. Let us make a start by being truthful in our homes, our churches and our workplaces. Let's not think 'what do they want to hear?' or 'what am I expected to say?' but instead lets tell it like it is.
Remember the man in the panda suit and let us change the world by starting with ourselves.