When we moved to the DC area, we bought a house. Actually I should say I bought a house because while my wife supported me in the choice, she did not see it until we were committed to the purchase.  For the first time in my life I bought a house from the heart more than from the head. I love it. I still have no regrets, but I have found a number of peculiarities. One of them is that truly straight lines are hard to find. I know this is true in much of modern construction, but when we tried to do some wallpapering, we found it a challenge to get things to line up right. The house, like many other things,  looks good, but when examined against a straight edge or true square, the errors become visible.

Today it seems that  world is looking for a straight edge, a true square, something called integrity, but they are having a hard time finding it. This is not a newquest, The first Psalm teaches us about the walk of integrity. (See the end of this article)

Our world - our sleazy sell anything world, is today calling for integrity!! Its amazing, but if you look in popular bookstores today you will find many books trying to grapple with the subject. Books for children, books for family. Books of virtue and books looking for truth and character. Many people are sick and tired of lies and deception.

The big problem however is loss of a standard. You can take a level, a small tube filled with liquid except for a bubble of air, and discover what level is. It is quite useful as long as gravity is present.  But our skeptic world has said moral gravity doesn't exist, or at least can't be proven. Well that is what they say about God and any kind of absolute truth. When we say there are no moral absolutes, then right and wrong and sin and shame do not exist.

That makes it hard to draw a line - hard to draw any line that is truly straight. G K Chesteson said "Art, like morality, consists of drawing the line somewhere."

From General Fogleman (formare Chief of Staff of the AF) to the local unit, we in the Air Force are hearing the word integrity tossed around. It is pretty much assumed that people know what it is, and perhaps in a general sense, that is true.

My big old red two volume New Century dictionary version says...

In-teg'ri-ty, n. The State of being whole, entire, or undiminshed (as, to preserve the integrity of an empire); also, sound, unimpaired , or perfect condition; also, soundess of moral principle and character; uprightness; honesty

Soundness of moral principle     Soundness of Character     Uprightness      Honesty

But what moral principle? And what character? Or whose character? Uprightness as compared to what???.

While argued about, honesty is something we understand. We may not always like it, but we understand it. Otherwise these quotes would not be funny!

It is generally agreed that no honest men are successful fishermen.

A policy of absolute honest can make a man's character, but ruin his golf game

"How to find an honest man   - Ask him - If he says yes, he is a crook"  Groucho Marx

For most of us in the United States, our morals have been rooted in the Judeo-Christian heritage. There are many other Americans with different traditions, but that does not lessen the effect and power of these foundations. Here are some words from our past, that are very relevant to our present.

Psalms 51:6 Surely you (speaking of God) desire truth in the inner parts; you teach me wisdom in the inmost place. (NIV)

From the Ten Commandments Exodus 20:16  "You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor. (NIV)

Leviticus 19:11 "'Do not steal. "'Do not lie. "'Do not deceive one another. (NIV)

There are times when situations do make a difference in what we do and say. War is one of those times where deception is practiced. (Gideon - Judges chapter 7) But in the every day world that we live in, nearly all of our choices are clear. They may be hard, but they are clear. Here is an old prayer from West Point that at one time this was repeated at each service ( I assume it is not used any longer)

Cadets prayer

Make us choose the harder right instead of the easier wrong, and never be contented with half truth when the whole truth can be won. Endow us with courage this is born of loyalty to all that is noble and worthy, that scorns to compromise with vice and injustice and knows no fear when right and truth are in jeopardy.

"I hope I shall always possess firmness and virtue enough to maintain what I consider to be most enviable of all titles, the character of an honest man. "  General George Washington  - Me too, ChaplainD

Psalm One

 Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers.

But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night.

He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither.

Whatever he does prospers. Not so the wicked! They are like chaff that the wind blows away.

Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous.

 For the LORD watches over the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish. (NIV)