Integrity

One of the most troubling things in our culture is the lack of integrity. Integrity is a complicated term, but one that is a chief value that I was raised with. As my personal code of the Knight 4 Today, this is one of the top virtues.

Before I was ordained into ministry, one of the questions that I was asked was "What is the most important quality of a leader?" After a few seconds thought, I answered "Integrity." What is integrity?

There is a famous quote about integrity. "Integrity is doing the right thing, even when no one is looking." Just really think about that for a moment. Who are you when no one is looking? How honest is your tax return? How many "little white lies" do you tell, when you know no one will find out? How do you act around your friends? How do you treat your family? Are you different at church than alone?

But this is only one definition of integrity, according to Websters (their technical definition to this is "firm adherence to a code of especially moral or artistic values; incorruptability"). The second they give is "unimpaired condition; soundness." Think of it like building a building. I don't care what color you paint the room if the foundation is crumbling and the supports are rotting. I've been house hunting lately, so know what this looks like. You may appear fine on the surface, but how's your heart? This week a kid walked into his high school and shot five people, killing three (so far). His friend said "This doesn't make any sense. He bottled stuff up, but this just doesn't seem like him." The paint was fine, but the structure was rotten. He was unsound. This leaves a simple question: do we do right to avoid getting in trouble, or do you do right because your heart is good?

The third definition is one we need in this culture. "The quality and state of being complete and undivided." That's what we need. Many people in our society go to church. Yet, they say that is their "religous compartment." It's like a set of dresser drawers. They go to church, but close that drawer. At work they lie and steal and tell inappropriate jokes. Those people don't even know that they go to church, which is why they don't invite those people to church. Then after work, they go to the bar and get drunk, maybe even have a one-night stand. Or they go home and treat their families like dirt, before jumping on the internet to feed their porn addiction, then wonder why their wives don't feel affectionate (ok, small rant there). The point is, they say that their religious compartment doesn't affect the rest of their lives. That's the opposite of integrity.

I was once asked "What do you want your tombstone to say?" My answer is simple, "Minister of the Gospel; Man of Integrity." My worst fear is not heights, or any other things that I fear. My greatest fear is to lose everything because of sexual misconduct, because I've seen so many men (especially leaders) taken out of the fight for that very reason. I want to be a man of integrity, above all else.

I'm thinking about developing an Oath for the Modern Knight, specifically for a young man I've been mentoring. If I do, integrity will be a key virtue of the modern day knight. If you want to be a Knight 4 Today too, vow with me to strive for true integrity.