A Change in Policy

I am not sure who said it first, but it used to be said that "Honesty is the best policy." One of the trademarks of a nation that was once largely of a moral conscience was that the common man could be found to be truthful. It was honesty in business. It was the surety of a handshake. It was knowing that a man's word was his bond.

Unfortunately, as we are witnessing a breakdown in morality within our culture we are also witnessing a change in moral policy. It may be as was written by Shakespeare in Hamlet - "Ay sir; to be honest, as this world goes, is to be one man picked out of ten thousand."

One of the blessings of going to Freed-Hardeman University straight from California was that I no longer had to lock up all my things all the time. While attending there I rarely locked my car. If I left something on campus I could always go back and get it with no problem. When we lived in New Providence, Kentucky, we were never worried about burglars. In this small farming community the church doors remained unlocked. When we moved into the preacher's home, I tried to lock the door the first night. I had no key, so I called up the former minister, who had taken a job with a larger church in town. He said he didn't know where the key was. He had lived there for six years, and had never even locked up the house!

But things are changing. Monday evening my wife had to do some late shopping at the Lawrenceburg Walmart. She accidentally left her cell phone at the cake counter and had to go back for it. When she got there it was gone. So she called the number. The person who had picked up the phone was rude with her and at first refused to give it back. Finally when she did get it from him, he used foul language and showed her little respect. He was guilty of stealing, dishonesty, hatred, slander, drunkenness, and wickedness, just to name a few.

I would like to tell you all that you can trust the common man. I would like to tell you all that people are generally honest about most everything. I would like to tell you all that you can depend on most people for anything. But I cannot tell you that. Until we as a nation turn back to God, starting with our individual homes, we must realize that the policy has changed. With all of this, I know there are so many good people out there. But it is time for these good people to speak up.

"An honest man's the noblest work of God" ~ Alexander Pope, An Essay on Man

"...that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty." ~ 1 Timothy 2:2