Christian Educators: Don't Practice Deceit
Would you ever think, in a million years, that honesty is absolute for Christian educators would need to be said? Isn't it obvious? Apparently not, at least in my mind!
Just this morning, reading my usual one chapter of Proverbs every day, I read, "Truthful witness by a good person clears the air, but liars lay down a smoke screen of deceit." (Proverbs 12:17 MSG)
"Deceit" ("The action or practice of deceiving someone by concealing or misrepresenting the truth.") is the translation of choice by all I checked.
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Why would any Christian educator choose "deceit" as appropriate for any response or comment?
Scripture is clear regarding what to expect, "Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness." (James 3:1 ESV)
Desiderius Erasmus said a "mouth full" when speaking of the state of the teacher.
"To be a schoolmaster is next to being a king. Do you count it lowly employment to imbue the minds of young people with the love of Christ and the best of literature, and to return them to their country honest and virtuous men? In the opinion of fools it is a humble task, but in fact it is the noblest of occupations."
Can we in this, "noblest of occupations" then "imbue the minds" of students with "the best" and send them out "honest and virtuous" when we are dishonest, liars? I don't think so!
When our moral failure is discovered, can we be surprised that our students and colleagues are taken aback?
The result of this serious lack of candor can be understood more fully in a derivation of a quote from Friedrich Nietzsche's Beyond Good and Evil, Aphorism number 183 "Not that you lied to me but that I no longer believe you has shaken me."
This is precisely on the mark and worthy of serious consideration!
Indeed honesty and truthfulness are foundational to every relationship, every family, and every community. Lack of honesty destroys everything and undermines success.
Take a moment to remember a time when someone lied to you. Try and remember how you felt. I'll bet the range of emotion went from disappointment to anger then to disillusionment. Furthermore, I would guess that it affected you forever, at least for a considerable amount of time, whether that existing relationship was casual or profound. While this is a simple exercise, it is also disturbing and complicated.
I continue to be amused by a commercial I saw on television a couple of years ago, a Geico Insurance commercial which asks, "Could switching to Geico Car Insurance really save you money?" "Was Abe Lincoln honest?" Abraham Lincoln and his wife, portrayed as a pudgy little woman, are getting dressed to go out. The President's wife says, "Does this dress make my backside big?" After a brief pause and look of consternation the President holds his hand up with his index finger and thumb about an inch apart and says, "maybe a …" You are left believing that "Honest Abe" fits the President well and that Geico is equally as honest. Undoubtedly, in light of our discussion, so should you!
Taking this whole honesty virtue to its ultimate conclusion raises still more serious questions. If our "integrity" is in question will our students accept us as "mentors?" Will our Christian witness be believed? Will any chance of leading a student, a friend, a family member, to Christ be possible? After all, if we are to present the "Gospel" as truth, if we are presenting all truth as God's truth, ("Omnis veritas a Deo") and our truth may not be trusted, will we, can we be effective? I don't think so!
Taking a look at scripture provides excellent examples revealing the effects of dishonesty and virtue of honesty, righteousness.
1. Abraham hides the truth, Genesis 20:1-28.
2. The story of Achan, Joshua 7
3. David and Saul, God Cares about Righteousness, Psalm 52:1-7
4. Ananias and Sapphira, Acts 5:1-11 and
5. Abraham by faith is determined righteousness, Hebrews 11:8-10
My copy of Dr. Frank E. Gaebelein's book The Pattern of God's Truth is a collection of loose pages. On page 36 Dr. Gaebelein writes of two meetings with two giants. "
It was Dr. (Karl) Barth's emphatic opinion that the most effective way to integrate every subject of study with Christianity is through teachers with a genuinely Christian world view …"
"A few weeks later (he goes on) I had a similar talk with Mr. C. S. Lewis at Magdalen College, Oxford. He expressed the same view."
I was privileged to know and personally speak often with Dr. Gaebelein. He was as emphatic in conversation as on page 45 of The Pattern of God's Truth saying, "In all honesty, it must be admitted that no teacher or minister who does not have the Bible at the center of his life and thought to the extent of living daily in this book can hope to develop a Christian frame of reference."
This governs our living out Christian virtues.
Honest, indeed, is absolute!
"Show yourself in all respects to be a model of good works, and in your teaching show integrity, dignity, and sound speech that cannot be condemned, so that an opponent may be put to shame, having nothing evil to say about us." (Titus 2:7 & 8 ESV)
