Christian Living

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Larry Lilly's Letter Tuesday November 1, 2005

Often in life we are faced with a dilemma, the necessity of deciding to be loyal to a superior or to our moral steersman, our inner guide. Christians of course are guided additionally by the Word, and the Spirit. The conflict may be more common than you think.

Daniel Schorr commenting on this in relation to the indictment of Lewis "Scooter" Libby, Chief of Staff to Vice President Dick Cheney, dealt with this bind in which good people may find themselves squeezed. And squeezed is a kind word to describe this pain.

John Ehrlicman, who went to prison for 18 months for crimes during the Watergate epic, said concerning his own lack of moral fortitude:

"I went and lied and I'm paying the price for that lack of will power. In effect I abdicated my moral judgments and turned them over to somebody else."

The abdication of moral judgment is a dangerous thing, yet many people face the choice to check their brain and pledge some sort of loyalty to a peer or more often a superior. The phrase, 'After all, these will improve the organizations status, bottom line, or forward the progress of the nation.' Even the Kingdom of God, said Kingdom reputed to be based on truth and honesty, is more than admitted included in this duplicitous dealing.

In my opinion most failures to maintain moral dignity are the result of a strong desire to make new friends or even stronger, to keep old ones. I’m sure that most of the 'Washington' abdications are based on keeping friends in higher places.

As I thought on the current situation in our capital, the Statement of General Robert E. Lee to his son kept working its way into my thinking. It is as good advice today as it was when the General uttered it in the long ago. I feel certain a large number of men in leadership in our country wish they had paid heed to it. I know there have been times in my life when I knew in my heart I should have listened to the Noble Virginian:

"Never do a wrong thing to make a friend or to keep one."

The general's advice is so easy to repeat.

To put this simple advice into actual practice is one of the toughies of life. It is rather easy to say no to an enemy, or a mere acquaintance, but to say, "No, what you want me to do is against my inner beliefs" requires very strong stuff on the inside.

The strength of the Christian is to be so in allegiance with Jesus Christ that our loyalty to Him supersedes all other alleged claims. Easy to write.

Larry Lilly Copyright © 2005 Use with credit.

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