O Man, What is Good?
Whenever I pick up a book on philosophy, I always wonder how many people actual think about ethics, morals or philosophical leanings? Sadly, most people I know never stop to consider why they believe what they believe or examine the reasons for their actions.
This is where The Matrix of Christian Ethics is a helpful book. It makes clear that most people (religious or not) may not think about the reasons for their actions, but they should! Whether they think about it or not, all people act according to particular principles based on underlying reasons. Understanding how we formulate our moral decisions can help us to act better—more gracefully—toward others. This is so important, because the least compassionate people are often those who are most dogmatic concerning their rules for life.
I found this dogmatic approach well illustrated in a minister friend who, not surprisingly, was fond of quoting Ecclesiastes 12:13: “Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the duty of all mankind.” Not a particularly happy verse, but clear and to the point. Notice the emphasis: fear, duty and commandments! This minister, who never went anywhere without his big black Bible, was guided by this simple passage. His sermons and personal advice focused on obedience to God, which meant simply applying the clear guidance of Scripture to every problem and situation. The emphasis on was “on the authoritative speaking of God and the need for unconditional human obedience. Here, the Ten Commandments are the timeless heart of Christian ethics.”[i] All problems and their answers tended to be black and white. Either you followed what God commanded, or you chose not to. In his system, matters of character, personal growth, the Holy Spirit and the church community had no real relevance. One simply needed to do what God said…that was the “conclusion of the matter.” There was found in this system little empathy or humanity.
I always wondered why this minister never quoted a similar passage (also found in his Bible) that also attempted a “conclusion to the matter,” but this from Micah 6:8: “O man, what is good. And does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.” This passage seems a far better summary of the Old Testament, coming at the conclusion to Prophets and anticipating the life and teaching of Jesus, who would embody this very passage. Here was a radically different approach to ethics than fear and following rules. Here, the question is first breached: What is good? What is required by God is now one and the same thing as what is good. This suggests that there is good that comes when we do what God requires. But look at what is required: Not blind obedience to specific rules, but general guidance to act in mercy and justice, and walk humbly with God. What I believe that my minister friend was missing was the fact that the “law is not simply about obscure commands but about the commands of a triune God expressing his love from the depths of his being for the care of his creatures.”[ii] In other words, the “law has its ultimate source in the caring, loving, providential activity of God.”[iii] Here, obedience was to experience and live within the care and love of God. Doing what is required grows—not out of fear, but–out of a loving relationship with a loving God. “The law is not simply a matter of outwards obedience to static rules but of loving God with our entire being, complete and undivided. And God desires that our love for him be expressed in love toward others in concrete actions of care.”[iv]
The emphasis shifts from rules and obedience to the care and love of others as a basis for Christian ethics, based on the example of Jesus and the mercy and love he shared with us. “According to this emphasis, Christian ethics is, in the first place, about imitating Jesus. It is a Jesus-centered ethic placing a greater emphasis on the Sermon on the Mount than on the Ten Commandments.”[v] The Sermon on the Mount then provides illustration for what it means to act justly, to show mercy, and what a life lived in step with God might look like. Notice that Jesus’ teaching here lacks dogmatic rules and hard commands. It rather discusses character, attitudes, matters of the heart and general principles for a life of mercy and grace. Jesus describes a life of “Christ-likeness,” of joy (blessedness) under the care of God. It is an ethics that comes from the inside of the believer, as the New Testament makes abundantly clear: “The conscience is developed as it submits to the influence of Christ, Scripture, and the faith community through the work of the Holy Spirit. This is not simply about blind obedience to the hard facts of the law, but it is about discovering joy in obedience to the purposes we were created for.”[vi]
My minister friend loved God, loved the Bible and worked tireless to live a holy life. His view of “the good” is very simple: Fear God and be obedient to His clear rules. What is lacking is—what I call–the “human factor”; that God is concerned with more than mere obedience. He is concerned with character, with relationship, and with spiritual life that rarely finds an echo in any hard set list of rules. As Stanley Grenz stated: “We cannot simply collapse truth into rational certainty. Rather we must make room for mystery—as a reminder that God transcends human rationality…Christian truth is more than correct doctrine. Truth is both socially and linguistically constructed, and at the heart of Christianity is a personal encounter”(my italics).”[vii]
How do we approach ethics? Scripture tells us what is good, not only for us, but for God. What is good is a life of knowing God who is love and being guided by mercy and justice in messy reality of daily relationships. Not an easy task, but one Jesus himself took on in order to be our guide.
[i] Patrick Nullens and Ronald T. Michener, The Matrix of Christina Ethics: Integrating Philosophy and Moral Theology in a Postmodern Context (Colorado Springs, CO: Paternoster Publishing, 2010), 158.
[ii] Ibid., 163.
[iii] Ibid., 162.
[iv] Ibid., 164.
[v] Ibid., 159.
[vi] Ibid., 187.
[vii] Stanley Grenz, Primer on Postermodernism (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1996), quoted in Leonard Hjalmaron, Introduction to a Missional Spirituality (CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform, 2014) 31.
About the Author
John Woodward
Associate Director of For God's Children International. Member of George Fox Evangelical Seminary's LGP4.6 responses to “O Man, What is Good?”
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If I can say this right: John I appreciate the way in which you think about thinking. One of the transitions in thinking we refer to here is a movement from “rightness” to “righteousness”. “Rightness” is concerned about my glory; “righteousness” is concerned about God’s glory and therefore is infused with much more space and grace, but no less truth.
I appreciate your statement: “Understanding how we formulate our moral decisions can help us to act better—more gracefully—toward others.” That sums it up for well for me. The challenge that we may have with our friends/peers in leadership is, how do we help them to make the transitions that you write so well about?
Deve, you perfectly stated it: Right to Righteous! I have never heard that, but it perfectly captures the issue for me! As far as your question: I wish I knew! I have tried to dialogue with this minister friend many times, but there is an intrenchment in his thinking and beliefs that I find him unable to even begin to think outside his box. Sadly, his “system” hasn’t been tremendously successful (most concealing sessions he was involved with, more often left people cold. Many would ultimately leave the church…which was ok, because they “weren’t willing to obey God!”. It is something I’ve always wonder, how to encourage one to let God defend His own truth while we take on our role of loving God and neighbor. Any insights or thoughts on this? I wish I knew. (I always pray I wouldn’t end up being an old curmudgeon who is good at quoting scripture but everyone avoids!)
John,
Great post! I’ve experienced a church with a flawed moral compass, and lacked love toward others. The leadership team wasn’t interested in serving the community in which they operate; rather they focused on modeling themselves after a large mega church that they idolized. In doing so, they stepped all over the older generation and focused on brining in younger children and teens. They became so resistant to any ministry ideas outside of their plan that they went so far as to circulate hateful emails through the staff badmouthing certain older individuals in the church. I was appalled, as this wouldn’t have likely happened in a secular organization let alone a Christian church. When I called the staff out on this behavior, they couldn’t see the issue. They were so influenced by “becoming something else” that they were willing to disrespect others in the process.
You quoted that we are “To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.” Thinking of this at the organizational level, many churches or denominations fail to treat their own workers justly. How about the church that spends millions of dollars on buildings, yet doesn’t pay their pastors enough to survive? How about staff that engage in gossip about church members? We like to talk about Christian ethics…but too few Christian organizations are truly ethical within the core of their operations and behaviors.
Richard, thanks for your thoughts! I had not really applied this to church staff, but you make a great point! It is truly amazing how often “elders” require sacrifices of the pastors that they would never even begin to do themselves. We would go a long way, I feel, if we practiced this verse…especially if we are truly willing to walk HUMBLY with our God…we would see a whole different attitude in our staff, leadership and church culture! But how to break into the old mindset and practices of these churches? For this I don’t have an answer!
John,
Thanks for your post.
Leaving room for that which is obviously there — mystery. Love it.
It’s so hilarious (and sad) that we pretend so much that we have somehow conquered and banished mystery. Since this is the case, of course we lack humility. Why would we need it? It is all known.
Well, of course, you know this…you wrote all about it. The ironic piece is that we need to study to really begin to understand and, perhaps even more so, appropriately appreciate the mystery.
I really appreciate the part where you quote the authors writing about finding joy in discovering adherence to purposes. There is joy in the journey and freedom too. For instance, how fun that we get to “love mercy!”
John,
Thanks for your good post.
I have also known many “Bible thumpers” who quote their favorite Scriptures leaving out others. My dad does that every time we are together. And, not wanting to rock his 82-year-old boat, I calmly and patiently (at least externally) listen to what he has to say. I rarely give a rebuttal any more since it seems like such a pointless endeavor. Whenever I get home I always feel like taking a bath because I feel so dirty and condemned. The funny part is that it is always exactly the same sermon, the same verse, the same confident fervor. Frankly, I hate getting together with him because of this. But I do get together with him. Why? Because it is the right thing to do; it is the ethical thing to do. It is the Micah 6:8 thing to do — at least I think it is. Sometimes (perhaps most times) the ethical path is not the easiest path to walk. However, I believe it is the best path to walk, and as often as I can, I want to be on that path.