Tidying Up

What do we know, teach and do about morality? In this expanding ideological society “morality” is becoming an increasingly ambiguous term. Though the term “moral” has never been one in which we could speak about definitively, there are some attributes of morality that we all ascribe to in common. At the basic level most people would agree that human beings ought to be kind and helpful to one another. The problem is we view this basic attribute as the pinnacle of moral standard. Contrary, kindness and helpfulness is the least we do to demonstrate our sense of morality. Kindness and helpfulness is where we begin in celebrating the evolution of our humanness, not where we end.

We fail miserably at the ground level of morality; which probably explains why most of us never reach beyond being kind and helpful to others. If we were to graduate from the ground level of morality we would find that there is more to it than the way we behave towards others. There is also the morality that exists within us for us. It is the way we temper our self-destructive behavior. Our internal morality should serve to warn us of the sins we commit against ourselves. To behave with moral integrity is to be kind to others while being kind to ourselves. How moral are we if we offer the best of ourselves to others, but inflict our mind, body and spirit with toxic pollutants (e.g. selfishness, drugs, cigarettes, profanity, laziness, porn, drunkenness, poor diet)?

Demonstrating moral integrity consist of being kind and helpful to both, others and ourselves. Perhaps, only after we master these two levels of morality can we truly advance to the third and final dimension. That is, living in peace with our Creator. The ultimate morality is to express continuous gratitude for being made. We express thankfulness by celebrating creation in its various forms, and honoring the Creator. Anything less than acknowledging and paying homage to that which is responsible for your existence is immoral.

These are the three levels of morality we must know, teach and do; be kind and helpful to others as well as to ourself, while paying homage to our Creator. It is evident in how we behave towards one another that what has been simply stated about morality here is proving to be increasingly difficult as we become more diverse in our thinking. Progress we must, but how far can we expect to advance if we fail to tidy up on morality?

Read Mark 7:21-23