Reflections on the Beatitudes – Part Four

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.

“I will keep your law continually, for ever and ever. I shall walk at liberty, for I have sought your precepts…Your commandment makes me wiser than my enemies, for it is always with me.”

Psalms 119

Righteousness is defined as “acting in a way that is morally right or justifiable – leading a life that is pleasing to God.” On the other hand, self-righteousness is “moral superiority derived from a sense that one's beliefs, actions, or affiliations are of greater virtue than those of the average person. Self-righteous individuals are often intolerant of the opinions and behaviors of others.”

In my previous job, I was a Certified Ethics Official for the federal government. I still hold the certification, but it’s not a part of my position now. So for six years, I advised my co-workers on ethics issues: Is it okay if I do thus-and-such? Would it be a conflict of interest if I did this particular activity? Most people knew what to do; many people needed me to quote the regulations that actually prohibited an activity, even if it appeared to be unethical – righteous vs. self-righteous?

I believe that to act ethically – righteously – is to always do right, even when no one is looking. I choose to act in that way because it means that I have created a structure around my behavior so that I have the right answer and choose the correct fork in the road. There is no “moral dilemma”, no need to ask for permission to deviate from my code of ethics, my sense of right and wrong.  Regulations create the same structure, but most are just common-sense interpretation of what is right. When choosing what is right, there is little room for nuance – when in doubt, just don’t do it.

So often I watch incredulously when two people debate a matter that, in a common-sense code of ethics, is a no-brainer: Justifying a conflict of interest on the basis of family emotions or fear of losing a friend; justifying the act of looting following a natural disaster because the looter is poor and the business-owner is rich; justifying spousal abuse because the abuser was raised by a father who also abused his wife and children; justifying road rage because one driver cut the other driver off on the freeway. Do the justifications somehow make them “right”?

Is it right when the cashier gives me a dollar more than she should in change, and I keep it as a little gift from the Universe? Is it right not to allow a driver in when the lanes are diverging, just because they were brash enough to ignore the signs a quarter-mile back? Is it right to ignore a conversation between co-workers who use foul language and racial epithets, because it’s none of my business? Is it right to pay someone to be silent about a wrong-doing, just because the funds are available? At what point do we move from righteous to self-righteous?

To me the bigger question comes down to personal choice: What do I do about it? I just don’t do it when the answer in my mind is black and white, or doesn’t feel right. Return the dollar to the cashier. Don’t steal from a business even if the opportunity presents itself. Let the driver in so we can all proceed down the freeway safely. I constantly reinforce in my mind the precept of loving one another and take a moment to cool off when I’d like to slap someone who has crossed me.

Some matters are not so clear-cut, like reporting inappropriate or illegal behavior. What I have learned is that there is always a safe haven of some kind, and I can still take action. I can report the offending co-workers to my supervisors or managers, trusting that they have been trained to do the right thing. I can call the DWI hotline when someone is driving erratically.  

We cannot ignore the need to hunger and thirst for righteousness, lest we die of such hunger and thirst. We must take responsibility to always do right, even when no one is watching, or at least to plant a seed, even if we will not be there so see the fruit being harvested. In the end, we will be filled.