March 13thPsalm 101
If anything is excellent
In 1992, James Carville, a strategist for Bill Clinton, came up with a quip that would help propel Clinton to the presidency over the incumbent, George H.W. Bush. The quip was, ‘It’s the economy, stupid.’ This line hung in campaign headquarters so workers wouldn’t lose their focus.
Our psalm has a different view of the leadership role. Leadership ability is not about the GDP; rather it is about the character and moral commitment of the leader. (By the way, Clinton may have won the election but he failed badly on the character test).
Psalm 101 begins with an admirable summary of God’s character and God’s will:
Oh, let me sing about faithful love and justice!
I want to sing my praises to you, Lord!
Our psalmist then goes on to affirm a commitment to integrity. The desire of the king is to know God’s character and will completely and internalize it so that it influences every behaviour.
2 I want to study the way of integrity—
how long before it gets here?
I will walk with a heart of integrity
in my own house.
This psalm was originally written as a challenge to Israel’s king to live up to God’s standard for leadership. This psalmist/king makes four promises:
1 I will walk with integrity in my own house. With his family? His government advisors? (v. 2b)
2 I won’t set my mind on ‘worthless things’ like poll numbers and securing privileges for the leader or his friends. (v. 3-4)
3 I demand that my people also follow God’s way of integrity and justice. (v. 6)
4 Only those who live such lives will be part of my leadership team. (v. 6b-7)
In a society where the word ‘politician’ has become almost synonymous with ‘corrupt,’ and where much speech is intended to mislead, the invitation here is timely; that we speak and embody the truth in love as witness to God’s claim upon our lives and our world.
Early Christians saw such integrity and love manifested in Jesus and thus applied it to their life and conduct.
I encourage you to live as people worthy of the call you received from God. . . by speaking the truth with love, let’s grow in every way into Christ, 16 who is the head. (Ephesians 4.1b, 15).
8 From now on, brothers and sisters, if anything is excellent and if anything is admirable, focus your thoughts on these things: all that is true, all that is holy, all that is just, all that is pure, all that is lovely, and all that is worthy of praise. 9 Practice these things. . . . (Philippians 4).
The Anglican priest, Samuel Wells, writes: ‘The church should be the kind of community that demands an explanation.’ Living into these words of scripture will help us to become such a community of faith.