Bringing Back Integrity
Indianapolis First Friends Quaker Meeting
Pastor Bob Henry
February 4, 2024
Good morning, Friends, and welcome to Light Reflections. This morning at the Meetinghouse we are celebrating Scout Sunday, and the impact that Scouting has had on our young people and society. The scripture I have chosen is from Ephesians 4:20-32 from the Message version.
But that’s no life for you. You learned Christ! My assumption is that you have paid careful attention to him, been well instructed in the truth precisely as we have it in Jesus. Since, then, we do not have the excuse of ignorance, everything—and I do mean everything—connected with that old way of life has to go. It’s rotten through and through. Get rid of it! And then take on an entirely new way of life—a God-fashioned life, a life renewed from the inside and working itself into your conduct as God accurately reproduces his character in you.
What this adds up to, then, is this: no more lies, no more pretense. Tell your neighbor the truth. In Christ’s body we’re all connected to each other, after all. When you lie to others, you end up lying to yourself.
Go ahead and be angry. You do well to be angry—but don’t use your anger as fuel for revenge. And don’t stay angry. Don’t go to bed angry. Don’t give the Devil that kind of foothold in your life.
Did you use to make ends meet by stealing? Well, no more! Get an honest job so that you can help others who can’t work.
Watch the way you talk. Let nothing foul or dirty come out of your mouth. Say only what helps, each word a gift.
Don’t grieve God. Don’t break his heart. His Holy Spirit, moving and breathing in you, is the most intimate part of your life, making you fit for himself. Don’t take such a gift for granted.
Make a clean break with all cutting, backbiting, profane talk. Be gentle with one another, sensitive. Forgive one another as quickly and thoroughly as God in Christ forgave you.
Scout Sunday always brings back good memories for me. I remember going to my friend, Andy’s basement in New Haven, Indiana, where his dad had a workshop full of fascinating things for a grade school boy to experience and learn at Cub Scouts each week.
It was in that basement where I learned not only how to hammer a nail properly but also more importantly how to be a decent human being and a good citizen of our county.
I remember the excitement and anticipation of participating in the annual Pine Wood Derby, which happened to take place in our church basement. Our scout leader, Mr. Schumm (Andy’s dad) was a gentle soul who had a lot of patience with our adventurous exuberance. God bless that man.
Since I am still friends on Facebook with Andy, every once and a while I see photos of Mr. Schumm still influencing his family and grandkids. I was lucky to have a good role model, a person of integrity, and a good example to influence my younger years. But that is the beauty of scouting at its best.
I agree with Tom Beeman, CEO of Lancaster General who said the following about scouting in 2009,
"Scouting prepares an individual to live a just and wholesome life, with integrity, as a member of civil society…The living out of these values in a virtuous way leads to a life of integrity, which forms character. I like to define integrity as saying what you mean and meaning what you say. Someone who lives a life of integrity is a person whose spoken words are integrated with the way they act."
It is clear that integrity is a founding and underlying principle of scouting. And sadly in many ways, scouting is one of the only places that integrity is taught in our world today, other than in the church.
Many consider integrity to be lost in the public sector or in society, and most especially in our government (no matter your political preferences). Yet, as it is defined,
“[Public] integrity is a cornerstone of a system of sound public governance. It assures citizens that the government is working in their interest, not just for the select few, and is vital for the economic prosperity and well-being of society as a whole.
I find it ironic that statistics show that Ten of the 80 male senators in the current U.S. Congress are Eagle Scouts. At 12.5 percent, that’s higher than most professions. It’s two times higher than the percentage of Boy Scouts who become Eagle Scouts.
And not to leave out the women.
Seventy-two percent of female U.S. senators are Girl Scout alums. Fifty-eight percent of women serving in the U.S. House of Representatives are Girl Scout alums. Five of nine current female governors are Girl Scout alums.
So just maybe it is time to send them all back to be scout leaders or at least to review what should have been instilled in them at a young age.
Oh….and if you were wondering about Presidents: Donald Trump was never a member of the scouts, but Joe Biden, Barack Obama, George W. Bush, Bill Clinton, George H. W. Bush, Jimmy Carter, Gerald Ford, Richard Nixon, Lyndon B. Johnson and John F. Kennedy (who was the first President to be a scout as a youth) were all scouts.
From early on, Quakers have seen integrity as an integral part of both society and faith. Thus, we included it within our testimonies or S.P.I.C.E.S.
To help one learn more about the Testimonies, the Quaker organization, American Friends Service Committee in conjunction with the San Francisco Friends School put together a wonderful resource on the Quaker Testimonies or S.P.I.C.E.S, which is on their website to utilize and download.
I often reference and share it with individuals wanting to learn more about our Quaker values and how they influence and are practiced among Friends.
Under the title Integrity: Consistency in Word and Deed it describes a Quaker view of integrity. Listen to what it says:
The need to deal honestly with all others and with oneself has long been a foundational belief among Friends, summarized by the old injunction: “Let your yea be yea and your nay be nay.” For Friends, having integrity means being authentic and having consistency between one’s values and one’s actions. Lack of integrity separates us from our own soul, from the Light within, and from our community.
Quakers try to live according to the deepest truth they know, which they believe comes from God. This means speaking the truth to all, including people in positions of power. Friends did not take oaths when appearing in a court of law, rejecting the idea that there is one standard of truth for daily living and another for the court….
We “speak truth to power” – and to each other – even when it is difficult, and our message may be unpopular. We deal honestly and fairly with colleagues and partners. We take responsibility for our actions and their results. We fulfill our commitments, and we give credit to others for their contributions.
While acting on our deepest beliefs and values, we are also open to new ideas, new solutions, and new paths. We know that our understanding at any moment is incomplete, at best an approximation of the truth that may be improved by new insights.
Again, I cannot hear this without thinking about my scout experience. Much of what I learned in scouts was very Quaker in its roots.
· Speaking Truth
· Deal honestly and fairly with others.
· Fulfill your commitments.
· Give credit to other for their contributions.
· Explore new ideas, new solutions, new paths, new insights.
Something I found interesting is that the Scouts are beginning to see the importance of mindfulness in their programs and its effects on building quality relationships and seeing change in the world.
Luis A. Faliciano, the Scouts BSA Chair, wrote that he is incorporating mindfulness into his teachings and practice by focusing on four main areas. These areas are a great place for us to start as well.
1. Prioritize Relationships. Be intentional and set a priority in building relationships and get to know the people you are interacting with.
2. Visualize positive interactions: Being mindful is a journey that will take some practice. Before jumping in, take a moment and picture what will be a successful outcome and visualize in your mind what little actions can be impactful to achieving them.
3. Create micro-moments of connection: When heading into a meeting or interaction with someone take a moment to remember that you want to be intentional about creating a genuine bond with others. Greet everyone warmly and be present in the moment.
4. Reflect: After every meaningful interaction take a moment to think how that made you feel. Ask yourself: Was I effectively connecting with the people I met? Do I feel more motivated?
These are a great place to start for those who want to really work on engaging their own integrity in our circles of influence.
Along these same lines and in response to this lack of integrity seen around us in our world, today, Psychology Today recently spent some time focusing on integrity. In many ways they have wrapped the ideas of integrity seen in the Scouts, among Friends, and in psychology together, and developed 5 ways to help us live with integrity.
Consider the below queries for you to reflect on and work through in the coming weeks and months. As you do this for yourself, take time to reflect on the world and culture around you, and see where you can “Speak Truth to Power” and live lives of integrity in hopes of changing this world for the better. Along with each of the five ways, I have added a query for us to ponder.
1. Self-reflection: Spend time reflecting on your values and beliefs to better understand what is important to you. By identifying your core values, you can make more informed decisions that align with your principles.
Ask yourself: When this week will I take some time to self-reflect on my core values?
2. Accountability: Take responsibility for your actions, both successes and failures. Own up to it when you make a mistake and learn from the experience. Demonstrating accountability increases trust and credibility with others, strengthening your integrity.
Ask yourself: Who do I need to admit to that I made a mistake?
3. Consistency: Strive to be consistent in your words and actions. Ensure that your behavior aligns with your values and principles, even when no one is watching. Consistency is critical to building a solid foundation of integrity.
Ask yourself: Where am I not being consistent in my life?
4. Honesty and transparency: Be honest and transparent in your communication with others. Share your thoughts and feelings openly and be willing to listen and consider different perspectives. Practicing honesty and transparency helps cultivate trust and fosters strong relationships.
Ask yourself: With whom have I not been honest or transparent? And why?
5. Ethical decision-making: When faced with difficult decisions, consider your choices' ethical implications and potential consequences. Seek guidance from trusted friends, family, or mentors to determine the best action.
Ask yourself: Who might I need to consult this week for help in making a difficult decision?
As we ponder those 5 ways to live with integrity and ask of ourselves those queries, may we find a path forward for growing the integrity of our lives and communities. Let’s take this time.