Integrity…part II

So the more I think about it, the more I suspect that there are three fundamental parts to developing a life of integrity.  The first is espousing a belief about something…anything really.  I believe that snow days are fun (today just happens to be one for me here in t-dot).  If we don’t believe in anything then I think the quest for integrity is a silly notion.  Though…I think that it would be nearly impossible for someone to believe in nothing…I guess even that would be a belief of sorts.

The second part is acting out on this belief in a way that aligns oneself with it.  This morning I sent a Facebook message to several of my friends and requested an impromptu breakfast party.  Now that may, or may not, actually happen (depending on whether or not any of these people care to get out of bed and whether or not they have class).  But I am most certainly interested in using my new found morning to engage in fun activities – – like blogging.

The third part is really being upfront with people about what our belief is so that they can see that our actions and beliefs are consistent.  I think it is an accountability of sorts.  But this is the category where we usually find ourselves in trouble – I think so anyways.  Let me explain why:

I think that people, in general, espouse the beliefs of their families and friends.  One’s social setting is the framework for their system of belief.  And depending on the situation, it can be easy to hold an opposing view…or quite difficult.  So what ends up happening in tight knit communities, where individual thinking is not overly encouraged, is that people end up asserting things they really don’t believe – OR they end up acting in ways which wouldn’t match their assertions.  Either way, one of the first two principals is violated and our integrity in turn.

But this is most complicated and disturbing because it comes down to people being scared of letting people see their true beliefs and actions.  It is a deficiency in community, really.  People don’t want to feel judged, slighted or marginalized for ‘straying from the right path’ and so they simply sacrifice something to keep up appearances.  The pressures of ‘fitting in’ or ‘doing the right thing’ are too much for people sometimes and they end up feeling guilt even to the point of throwing in the towel.

Why do we, as Christians, feel that it is so important for people to live out our standards with such perfection?  Why do we preach a message of acceptance and forgiveness to the unbeliever and then drop the ax on someone who is already in the church?  It has done a great disservice to the Body of Christ – making us scared to think and act; to change and adapt…and has turned us into moralistic, sadistic, conformers…people who atone for our own sin by berating others.

I hope and pray that we can become people who are willing to work at developing and knowing what we believe to the point that we are willing to assert and live what we believe unashamedly.  Then I think we will be the kind of people that can show empathy and mercy; love and forgiveness to others.

thoughts on integrity…

I’ve doing some thinking on the topic of integrity.  I think I’ve always had the wrong impression of what integrity is.  I have viewed integrity as a good perception of something – with me as the judge of whether or not someone has it.  For instance, I would see a persons actions and if they resonated with me as being right-actions I would say that they are a person of integrity…almost the same as being morally or ethically right in my opinion.

But I’ve come to understand, over these last few months, that another person’s integrity has little to do with what I think is right…and everything to do with checking to see if that person’s actions match what they actually believe.  This can be tricky…what if a person gives off the perception of believing something and then they seem to be a person of integrity when in fact they are not really being upfront or honest.  So – I think that integrity is sometimes, or most of the time, hard to judge in other people and only at that point when you really know someone well and develop a trust relationship with them can one really make this sort of decision.

It is much easier to judge integrity within one’s self.  Determining whether or not your own actions are in line with your fundamental beliefs is much simpler…at least for a person who can be honest with herself.

So – I’m wondering if being a person of integrity is more important because of the people that will measure your actions and classify you as good or bad; or more important because it gives you the ability to know that you are a genuine person yourself.  No doubt it is important to interact with people in a way that will earn their trust…but more and more these days I am considering that the arduous task of trying to get people to think I have integrity is more fuss than it is really worth…and often comes down to telling people what they want to hear.

Let’s talk about integrity…genuine living…”practicing what we preach”…so to speak.

on a side note…

Taking a quick break from the heavy conversation, I thought I should mention that I went to the Toronto Sinfonietta on Saturday night.  Maestro Lai was conducting…always a treat.  On the program – several Mozart Arias (performed by an extremely spunky Soprano), a JS Bach Flute concerto…well performed but a little boring, and the highlight of the evening: Schubert’s 5th.  Anyone who has seen the classic movie “Beethoven” will remember one of the themes well…do de do do dooooo, do de do do dooooo, do de do do dooooo, do de da de, do de do do dooooo…etc.  Ironic that it would be one of the major themes in a movie with such a title…anyways it was performed well.

“The Fifth Symphony, in B-flat, though written in the same year as the Tragic (September-October, 1816) is generally superior to the latter, and evinces such an advance in freedom and power of original expression that it may be accepted as the actual beginning of Schubert’s significant symphonic career. While it frankly adopts and sustains the simple, comparatively primitive style of Haydn, or, more correctly, of Mozart, it possesses an attractive physiognomy of its own; and it is permeated with the buoyant, joyous spirit of this amazingly gifted spendthrift of spontaneous melody. The score is that of the small orchestra of former days, comprising one flute, two each of oboes, bassoons, horns, and the quintet of strings—but no clarinets, no drums, and no trumpets throughout. This reduction of the instrumental apparatus augments the brightness and lucidity of the charming music.” – Chris Frigon

I would recommend it – beautiful melodies, warm harmony and, overall, a relaxing and easy listen.

It was a nice evening on the town.  Now I want to go to the TSO…anyone interested in a having a lovely, cultured evening?