橋樑—美國遺產概要23
一個人真正的本性是以他們的行為來決定，而不單靠信仰或他們的話語。信仰和話語固然重要，但為何耶穌說看果子可以知道一個人是有其原因的，而不是看其信仰或他們的話語。倘若一個人對信仰完全真實，說話算話，那我們可以藉這些來知道他們，但多數人所說的，或宣稱所相信的卻無法在他們的生命或行為上反映出來。
「誠信」（integrity）這個字有著完全的概念；當我們的行為反映出我們的信仰和話語，我們便有誠信，如此的誠信引至忠心和可靠。這些都是與神與人關係的根本，對神的信仰始於知道祂的話語是真實的。正如我們被呼召要像祂一樣，我們的話語也應該是真實的。別人對我們的信任，從他們知道我們信守承諾開始。
所有的關係都建造在信任之上，你可以愛某個人，但你若不信任對方，你們的關係只會很表面。信任是人與人之間建立關係的橋樑。橋樑或信任越堅固，可以攜帶跨越橋樑的東西也越重。
美國此時日益嚴重的分裂不僅是政策或政策喜好上的不同，更是信任破產的結果。我們飽受道德和品格敗壞，現在要找到一個真正誠實的人非常稀有。這更多是我們分裂的起因，而不是問題本身所引起的。對此的正面部分，是那些有誠信的人開始站出來，在這動盪不安的世界，人們被他們所擁有的安穩吸引。
這並不意味著政治或政策上的分裂不是真正的分裂，但是，要彌合這些分裂需要重建誠信和信任。現在，重要的問題是要如何重建失去的信任？
信任必須取得，只有一個方式取得信任─成為可以信賴的人。我們言行一致嗎？在我們話語、信仰和行為之間彼此一致嗎？正如一些最偉大的橋樑曾是世界上的工程奇蹟一樣，因此一個值得信賴的人現在也是一個偉大奇蹟。這樣的人可以成為他人之間的橋樑。
在美國比政黨之間更嚴重的分裂是介於人民和政府之間的分裂。有一句流行語這麼說，你可以知道一位政客在說謊，因為他的嘴正在動。原本一個諷刺政客說謊的笑話，基於長期經驗現在已經成為基本信念。那麼，解決辦法呢？
因為我們的容忍，今日政客說一套做一套很普遍。現在，我們預期新法律的名稱會與實際內容剛好相反，因為我們容忍沒有誠信和真理。
最近有一個戲劇化的例子，對美國所造成的創傷尚未癒合，即是「平價醫療法案」，又稱為「歐巴馬健保」。我們被承諾此法案可以降低健保費用，我們若喜歡目前的政策或醫生，我們可以保留下來，沒有一個承諾是真的，相反才是真的。就算美國人壓倒性不贊成此法案，後來還是通過了，但我們應對美國人會持續反對此法案抱持盼望。
我們還可以舉出許多被選出來缺乏誠信官員的例子，但更深層的問題是這些沒有誠信的人怎麼會被選出來？目前，那些最可能被選出來的人最擅長的就是自我推銷和攻擊對手，接著就是睜著眼說瞎話。此反映出我們有多墮落，而不是他們。為什麼我們對此包容？我們可以做些什麼呢？
在舊約中神揀選努力工作並做得好的人，即使他們是卑微的。我們在大衛和以利沙身上看見此，耶穌所呼召的門徒也是如此。同樣地，我們的政府被設計成讓做事的人管理，他們願意騰出更多時間為自己國家服務，而不是那些喜歡自我推銷的人。
我們可能有最好的政府形式，但如果裡面的人不好，我們仍有不好的政府。目前的失敗不在於我們的政府形式，而是我們放在政府裡面的人。兩個主要政黨的演變過程都是在選擇一些最糟的人來掌權，而這些人則有一些最糟的理由想要這些職位。
邱吉爾曾說：「政客想的是下一次選舉，政治家想的則是下一世代。」當我們選出政客而非領袖和政治家，可以預期他們會選擇對自己和政治上有利，而不是對國家最有利的決定。只要去看國會有多少人為我們投票贊成歐巴馬健保，同時卻投票贊成國會不受此約束，並為自己制定了不同計劃。這是政府與人民之間越來越危險脫節的最明顯跡象之一。
任何由政客而不是被認可領袖所帶領的政府，最後會變得功能不彰、沒有效率、缺乏誠信，就像我們目前的狀態。利己主義現在已根深蒂固於我們的政府當中，需要另一場革命來恢復成為民主、民有、民享的政府。所需要的革命不是為了推翻政府，乃是為了重建。
轉變可以從一些現在在政府裡的人開始，他們被證實有著「不一樣的心志/靈」，而不是自私自利的人。這些人大多是為進入政府而做出犧牲的人，放棄有利可圖的企業或專業，他們正是我們政府被設計來管理的類型。那些堅決與日益嚴重的政府腐敗和功能不彰抗爭，並且持守誠信成為值得我們信任的人，他們正是目前能再次將我們共和國所離棄的重整在一起。
我們的共和國並沒有失敗，而是我們有負於共和國，我們才是必須恢復共和國的人。如果我們的政府變得專制或功能不彰，無法回應人民，失去最初建立服務人民的目的，我們的開國父老會擁護另一場革命。我們正處在另一場革命無法避免的地步，但那並不代表一定要有暴力。讓我們禱告這場革命將以最少破壞和代價的方式來到，但我們也禱告這樣的革命需要發生，否則我們的共和國以目前的路線下去是不會存留太久的。
～摘錄戈登·萊德納（Gordon Leidner）～
開國父老對美國人民道德原則的掛慮遠超過其他屬性，他們有信心他們的國人向來勇敢勤勉，卻害怕國人未來的道德水準會下降。這種恐懼可能源於對先前民主政治的了解，古老世界的民主因著居民品德普遍下降而瓦解，人們對政府決策的發言失去興趣，或者對領導者權力的貪求。開國父老相信美國人若保有誠實，關注自我的公民責任，避免個人名利和權力追逐，並且愛神，那麼美國將繼續成為世界自由和希望的強大力量。
(摘自喬納word for the week, Week 23, 2020)
The Bridge—Heritage Brief 23
The true nature of a person is determined by their actions, not just their beliefs or their words. Beliefs and words are important, but there is a reason why Jesus said we would know people by their fruit instead of by their beliefs or their words. If everyone was completely true to their beliefs and their words, we could know others by these, but most will say things and claim to believe things that their lives and actions do not reflect.
The word “integrity” comes from the concept of wholeness. When our actions reflect our beliefs and words, we have integrity. Such integrity leads to faithfulness and trustworthiness. These are basics in our relationship with God and other people. Faith in God begins with knowing His word is true. As we are called to be like Him, our words should be true as well. Other people’s trust in us begins when they know we keep our word.
All relationships are built on trust. You can love someone, but your relationship with them will be shallow at best if you do not trust them. Trust is the bridge between people that relationships are built on. The stronger the bridge, or trust, the more weight that can be carried across the bridge.
The increasing divisions in America at this time are not just differences in politics or policy preferences, but are the result of a breakdown of trust. We have suffered such a meltdown of morality and integrity that to find a truly honest person is now very rare. This is more of a cause of our divisions than the issues. The positive side to this is that those with integrity are starting to stand out, and in this increasingly shaky world people are drawn to them for the stability they have.
This is not to imply that differences in politics or policy are not real divisions, or important to take a stand for, but the possibility of bridging these requires that integrity and trust be restored. The important question now is how is trust restored when it has been lost?
Trust must be earned, and there is only one way to earn it—by being trustworthy. Is our word our bond? Is there consistency between our words, our beliefs, and our actions? Just as some of the greatest bridges have been engineering marvels of the world, so is a trustworthy person now a great marvel. Such people can be the bridges between others.
Even more serious than the division between the political parties in our nation is the growing division between the American people and their government. There is a popular saying that you can tell when a politician is lying because their lips are moving. What began as a cynical joke is now a basic belief based on a long history of experience. So what is the solution?
For politicians to say one thing but do the opposite is now common because we have tolerated it. We now expect the title of a new law to be the opposite of what it actually does, because we have tolerated this lack of integrity and truth.
A dramatic recent example of this that is still an open wound in America is “The Affordable Care Act.” We were promised that it would lower the cost of healthcare, and that if we liked our present policy or doctor we could keep them, none of which was true, but was the opposite of the truth. This law was passed even with overwhelming disapproval by the American people, but it should give us hope that the American people are still pushing back on it.
We could recount many examples of a lack of integrity by elected officials, but an even deeper problem is how people with so little integrity are getting elected. Presently, those most likely to get elected are those who are best at self-promotion and attacking their rivals. After that, lying and exaggerating with a straight face helps. This reflects how far we have fallen, not them. Why do we tolerate this? What can we do about it?
In the Old Testament God chose those who were busy doing their jobs and doing them well even if they were menial. We see this with David and Elisha, and Jesus did the same with the disciples He called. Likewise, our government was designed to be run by doers who are willing to take time off as a duty to serve their country, not those driven by self-promotion.
We can have the best form of government, but have a bad government if we do not have good people in it. The present failures are not with our form of government, but with the people we have put in it. The process that has evolved in both main political parties is choosing some of the worst people to give power to and who have some of the worst reasons for wanting those positions.
Churchill said, “Politicians think of the next election, but statesmen think of the next generation.” When we elect politicians instead of leaders and statesmen, we can expect them to choose what is politically expedient and right for them over what is best for the country. Just check on how many in Congress voted for The Affordable Care Act for us, but voted for Congress not to be subject to it and have a different plan for themselves. That was one of the most telltale signs of an increasingly dangerous disconnect between our government and the people.
Any government led by politicians instead of proven leaders will become as dysfunctional, inefficient, and lacking in integrity as ours now is. Self-interests have now become so entrenched in our government that it will take another revolution for us to restore it to being one that truly is of the people, for the people, and by the people. The revolution needed is not to overthrow the government, but to restore it.
The turning can begin with some who are now in office that have proven to be “of a different spirit” than the self-serving ones. These are mostly those who made a sacrifice to be in government, leaving lucrative businesses or professions to serve. They are the type that our government was designed to be run by. Those who have been faithful to struggle against the increasing corruption and dysfunction of our government and kept their own integrity are worthy of our trust. They are presently the ones who are now holding what is left of our Republic together.
Our Republic has not failed, but we have failed our Republic, and we are the ones who must restore it. Our Founding Fathers advocated another revolution if our government became oppressive or dysfunctional and no longer responsive to the people it was established to serve. We are at the place where another revolution is inevitable, but that does not mean that it has to be violent. Let us pray that it comes with the least disruption and cost possible, but let us pray that it comes. Our Republic will not survive much longer on its present course.
The Founding Fathers were concerned with the moral principles of the American people more than any other attribute. They were confident their countrymen would always be brave and industrious, but they feared a future decline in their moral character. This fear probably arose from what was known about previous democratic governments. The democracies of the ancient world had fallen apart due largely to a decline in the virtue of their citizens, the people’s loss of interest in their voice in governmental decisions, or a lust for power by their leaders. The Founding Fathers believed that if the American people would remain honest, be attentive to their responsibilities as citizens, eschew personal fame and power, and love God, then America would remain a strong force for freedom and hope in the world. —Gordon Leidner
