Reputation with Others

 

 

He must also have a good reputation with outsiders, so that he will not fall into disgrace and into the devil’s trap. (1 Timothy 3:7) Paul’s admonition here to his young friend Timothy should be enough to tell people that maintaining friendly relations with others is a must, especially if you want to be a leader. It hasn’t gone outta style in the last 20 centuries…or has it, with some of us? Perhaps this quality of reputation speaks more loudly than most about someone’s character, because any individual can craft his/her own resume, even referencing people who are allies to try to establish the reputation that one wishes to promote for investigators. But what about outsiders – those who are neutral about the person in question? Do they perceive the person-in-question as fair-minded, decent, and wise, as someone possessing character that no one could disparage, if and when they encounter this individual? Solomon passed such a review of his character when the queen of Sheba came to ‘test (him) with hard questions’, and left this meeting as an admirer of God because of what she saw in Solomon, a king she felt certain stood for ‘justice and righteousness’ (1 Kings 10:1, 9). (See here the masterpiece artwork Solomon and the Queen of Sheba, by 19^th Century artist Giovanni Demin.) Perhaps it’s not too much of a stretch to say that the son Solomon learned some things from his own earthly father, David, even though this father made plenty of mistakes. David, despite his flaws, did try to generate a good reputation with others, including some he easily could have oppressed. Remember the fool Nabal, whose wife Abigail convinced David to relent, and to exercise discretion for the sake of his own reputation for goodwill (see 1 Sam. 25:1-42 [esp. vv. 28-35])? David also once refused to take advantage of his high position to obtain something for nothing; instead, he bought some oxen and a threshing floor from Araunah in order to build an altar and offer God a sacrifice, so that He would heal the land of a plague due to David’s own sin of numbering the people (2 Sam. 24:18-25). It’s a good example of David making a mistake, and then turning away from it and accepting the blame. What did this do for David’s reputation with others – including Solomon – since it happened near the end of David’s life (probably in the last decade of his 40-year reign, according to bible scholars)? We could say that this old man hadn’t developed a callous over his heart, with an arrogance that he was a mistake-free leader; indeed, he was still pliable clay in the Potter’s hands. Does this speak to us today?

 

Just how consequential is a good or bad reputation? One could cite many examples of the ultimate consequences of a bad reputation, particularly at the state-to-state level. How many wars have there been in human history? Perhaps the most consequential in our lifetimes – with resonance still today – would be World War II. Could anyone really trust Adolf Hitler, and did that not lead to the eventual ultimate penalty not only for himself, but for many millions of people? Because he was a nation’s leader, his reputation was so very crucial. For the average Joe or Jane Citizen, how we conduct ourselves with others does not usually make a lot of difference (except to God) beyond our own relatively small circle of people. But, the higher up the ladder one climbs, the more important reputation becomes. No matter how high you climb, doesn’t a good reputation count, or are we living in a time and place when and where that is losing favor? Translate this idea to the national level for a moment. America’s reputation has not always been guilt-free, but there are other examples in which it has shone forth with goodness. There are probably lots of doubters (still), but the U.S. and the Western world (G7) donated hundreds of millions (probably actually in the billions) of Covid-19 vaccination doses to the world to help it overcome the pandemic. Covax: How many Covid vaccines have the US and the other G7 countries pledged? Even if you somehow disbelieve the science and epidemiology experts, doesn’t this action speak of a good reputation that was lived out by this nation’s and other’s leaders? (By the way, ask yourself ‘Is there still a global pandemic, and if not, why not’?) This is perhaps the most compelling recent example of a good reputation lived out among the world community by many nations’ actions. There are also things like the Peace Corps Peace Corps - Wikipedia, The Red Cross International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement - Wikipedia and American Red Cross - Wikipedia, Doctors Without Borders Médecins Sans Frontières - Wikipedia, Healing Hands International About | Healing Hands International, Manna Global Missions We Are Manna – To bring the love and message of Jesus Christ to the young and the broken. These are but the tip of the iceberg that exemplify goodness, mercy, and decency among a few organizations (both government and non-government) in the world community – a good reputation for any nation or group of nations to foster among its citizens.

 

Therefore, let us not do things that conversely (and perversely) bespeak of arrogance, bullying, and ulterior motives, especially at the national leadership level, particularly when those sorts of behaviors are unwarranted. A reputation that has built up a storehouse of trust should not be forfeited. There are many words and actions by the new U.S. president that unfortunately do not contribute to this trust, but rather indicate a penchant for strong-arm tactics and his America-first arrogance. Here’s just a few: the new president has (falsely) blamed Ukraine for starting the war with Russia, apparently as part of a scheme to acquire something for the US -- US refuses to blame Russia for Ukraine war, splitting with European allies in UN votes | AP News. That this has caused reverberations in the United Nations and in the NATO alliance should not be diminished, for since the NATO and the UN were established, the US’s stand against aggression (one state attacking another, especially without provocation, except that one of the states wishes to be free and sovereign and the other wishes to dominate or end the other state’s existence) has always been firm. The Korean and Vietnam Wars and the Gulf War are examples of this. In World War II, the US supplied Britain with 50 US Navy destroyers in order to counter Hitler’s aggression Lend-Lease - Wikipedia. The US supplied France, the Soviet Union, China, and other Allied nations with aid during that time for the same reason. More recently, the US (under President Carter) helped Israel and Egypt negotiate an end to their long-running hostilities in 1977 Egypt–Israel peace treaty - Wikipedia, because the US had a good reputation with both states – it was trusted. In contrast, can one say that the following (see list below of some current episodes) are degrading or building up the national reputation, especially if the president uses coercive tactics to do so? Does the nation look more or less arrogant, because of its leader, and what responses will this breed among other nations of the world? The US needs friendships built on mutual trust, respect, and shared goodwill, not fear. Other nations also have their pride, in this world community, and cannot be expected to respond positively or ignore any president’s haughtiness.

 

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The new president has been in office for a bit over a month. This reputation for business deals – is that why he was elected? Let’s keep in mind that he was also found – in a courtroom, by jurors, average citizens like you and me, who examined evidence Trump's Tax Fraud Case Decided  -- to be a tax fraud earlier in New York…is that the kind of wheeler-dealer who should occupy the White House? Might that kind of character eventually haunt a nation that so behaves? Does this man make you think of justice and righteousness, the way Solomon did to the queen of Sheba? King David was also mentioned earlier (see paragraph 1), and he was a leader who dealt with his own greed and lust once, listened to it and got into trouble, trouble that never departed from him or his nation. Her name was Bathsheba. (Read 2 Samuel 11 and 12:10)

 

 

See information on the Image of Solomon being visited by the Queen of Sheba here: File:Sheba demin.jpg - Wikimedia Commons…This work is in the public domain in its country of origin and other countries and areas where the copyright term is the author's life plus 70 years or fewer. {{PD-1996}} – public domain in its source country on January 1, 1996 and in the United States.

Patience -- A Path to Mutual Respect and Cooperation?

 

It is a virtue, an ethic that God wants the Christian to take seriously. And yet, what does it look like? Try finding a picture of someone exercising patience, as in waiting, and you’ll see how challenging this can be, though this characteristic is often mentioned biblically. (see for example 1 Corinthians 13:4; Nehemiah 9:30; 1 Peter 3:20; 2 Peter 3:9…and, see prophets as an example [James 5:10]) Perhaps Daniel is one of the best visual examples, especially when he was facing punishment – in one of the most brutal ways – in the lions’ den (Daniel 6); this incident might also be described as an example of heroic courage, but nevertheless Daniel waited on God to rescue him, and He did so by sending an angel (v.22). (See a masterpiece artist’s conception of this episode here, Daniel in the Lions’ Den, by the 17^th Century painter Peter Paul Rubens…note that Rubens seems to have Daniel lifting a desperate prayer heavenward with clasped hands.) Love is patient (1 Cor. 13:4), and since God = love (1 John 4:8), we can believe that God is also patient. Isn’t it interesting that the first way that Paul described love as a character trait to the Corinthians, he told them it was exemplified by patience? Just how easy or hard is it to have patience in our fast-food world, when some answers and some services are just one or a few button-clicks away? If I live my life daily with this rapid-result expectation, is it an accident that our political environment behaves with the same attitude? It is easy to see how impatience with each other has broken the political climate in America; can we somehow get to a place where mutual respect through patience leads to more cooperative efforts (bipartisanship) and long-term solutions to growing problems – especially one that looms on the horizon?

 

Indeed, it is counter-cultural, and ahistorical with many examples, to find patience working well in American politics. Herbert Hoover waited, was patient -- or was it actually stubbornness? -- and look what happened to his career. The Great Depression sank his political prospects in 1932, and he lost his reelection bid in a landslide (to Franklin D. Roosevelt), largely because he was waiting on entities other than the federal government to directly intervene to lessen the economic calamity’s effects. It is a strength for politicians at all levels to appear, and act, proactively. A politician who doesn’t push legislation may in fact not be doing his/her job. So, how does this important ethic of patience fit in, or can it? There’s a tension between bureaucratic inertia and foolhardiness to rapidly and unilaterally implement measures; this includes today's efforts to shrink the federal government and its budget. It’s a large spectrum with lots to consider, including many proposals by both sides of the Democratic-Republican aisle historically to shrink government, with the latest being Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency effort (see Info on Department_of_Government_Efficiency).

 

Because the annual budget deficit seems to have become an accepted fact of life, there is value in what the DOGE aims to accomplish. And yet, measures to eliminate things like the Agency for International Development (AID), interfere with the activities of the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), and as-yet-unknown actions targeting several other federal agencies and cabinet-level departments – like the Departments of the Treasury and Education -- seem rash. Trump and his DOGE chief, Elon Musk, have speculated that they believe the federal budget’s annual outlay could be reduced by some $1 to $2 trillion, and that the federal workforce could be slashed by 75%. That would be immense, to put it lightly, and undoubtedly would affect millions of people here in the U.S. and around the world. Can we not study the best ways to streamline and reduce costs first, before proceeding? Moreover, some practices of DOGE already have been questioned by legal experts, breeding suspicion. Such a significant effort deserves more transparency regarding its information gathering to underpin its credibility and acceptance among the Democratic party, for what would stop the Democrats from reestablishing abolished agencies, etc. when – not if -- they retake the White House and Congress in the future? Many other questions can and should be asked, like where is the Congress and its constitutional duty to decide where and how much money is appropriated? And, how about the other side of the accounting ledger in this debate, namely revenue – i.e. tax collection? The debt is so large, that it seems unlikely that merely cutting spending would achieve enough saving; cutting spending, and raising more revenue is a must, if the debt is really to be pared down. Instead, Trump and company already seem to be making plans to extend tax cuts. Trump tax cuts, if made permanent, stand to benefit highest income earners, Treasury analysis shows | AP News This is also without any buy-in or apparent discussion with Democrats. No bipartisan discussions and no cooperative efforts are a sign of the highly polarized climate in Washington. When will this end? Will the arithmetic in all of this eventually overwhelm the political agendas? Have the political parties reached an impasse?

 

Perhaps one good way to define patience in the current American political environment, with all of the demonization by either side of each other, is this: Patience = Respect for others’ opinions. Another fellow in the bible who practiced this, despite many challenges, was Paul. Read how he reasoned patiently with the Athenians at the Areopagus (Acts 17:16-34), even while making his strong case for what he passionately believed. He didn’t hammer his listeners – he was patient, hoping to convince them through logic and his care for their welfare. (See a depiction of this below – Raphael’s St. Paul Preaching at Athens.) Listening and seeking information to consider the import of actions on people, and examining ways to lessen their suffering while accomplishing overall objectives, would be a respectful way to pursue cost-cutting measures. What has happened to the Christian values of mercy, forbearance, waiting on each other, and using our reasoning abilities to solve problems – and there are many -- in the USA? Some might respond that without strict or even draconian measures to tackle outsize things like the federal budget and its accompanying deficit, a certain catastrophe awaits. Indeed, just watch the digital display of accumulating federal debt, and how much of that debt is financed by other nations, should be enough to give anyone pause. The powers that be do need to address this issue, no doubt about it. But, giving the reins to a president whose grasp of facts has been pretty suspect, and who evidences so little humility and desire to work patiently with members of both sides, does not seem like a program for success. He won the office, evidently because enough people passionately agree with his agenda. Will they be patient when or if the agenda doesn’t meet expectations? Will the president and his supporters instead find themselves in the lions’ den eventually…or are we all there right now? Might the time be ripe for a third major political party to coalesce – perhaps one called Moderates or Independents – and bring solutions that the voting public can believe, versus the polemical storm that currently dominates the atmosphere? Pray that there will be some Daniels, or maybe Pauls, especially in high positions at either end of Pennsylvania Avenue, talking to the One above.

    

 

See information on the Daniel picture here: Daniel in Lions' Den …The author died in 1640, so this work is in the public domain in its country of origin and other countries and areas where the copyright term is the author's life plus 100 years or fewer. This work is in the public domain in the United States because it was published (or registered with the U.S. Copyright Office) before January 1, 1930.

 

See information on the Paul picture here Paul Preaching to the Athenians … This work is in the public domain in its country of origin and other countries and areas where the copyright term is the author's life plus 100 years or fewer. {{PD-1996}} – public domain in its source country on January 1, 1996 and in the United States.