BY REV. DR. VAHAN H. TOOTIKIAN
A sad and sickening phenomena in our society is its disregard for the value of human character. Often, public recognition is accorded to those who lack this basic ingredient in their lives.
We read about individuals who are honored for some “magnanimous benefaction” or “service to the community” or “some accomplishment” nearly everyday. Sadly, in many cases these honorees have been dishonest, untrustworthy, and unscrupulous. Our organizations have recognized and honored individuals who have cheated and stolen and who have turned around and donated part of their “spoils” to a charitable organization. Yes, our society has honored the dishonorable! It has paid no regard to what ultimately counts: character.
These days some people with high profiles and holding positions of great responsibility are cracking up. Heads of big corporations, professionals and public servants, including some clergy and lay leaders, are charged with dishonesty, nepotism, lying and stealing.
By almost any measure, the standards we as citizens keep and expect of those we elect or appoint to lead us have slipped badly in recent years. Too many of us are willing to look the other way when our leaders misbehave as long as they are members of our organization, church or club and as long as they “deliver the goods.”
Our celebrity-drenched culture focuses incessantly on the vapid and irresponsible. Insisting on sterling character seems old fashioned. We cut corners and sacrifice character for power, money, attention or other ephemeral gratifications.
Yet, character is ultimately more important than all the college degrees, public offices or even the knowledge that one might accumulate in a lifetime. It’s the one thing over which every adult has total, personal control in virtually all circumstances. It may be what others will remember about us more than anything else.
The evidence of a person’s character is reflected in the choices that person makes. People can’t choose their height, race or many other physical traits, but they fine-tune their character every time they decide what’s right or wrong and act accordingly.
Our character is further defined by how we interact with others and what conduct we display. Character is such an important ingredient in leadership that it is almost synonymous with it.
A deficit of character shows up every time people who know the right thing to do neither do it nor defend it, because doing so might be discomforting or inconvenient. Moreover, when people shirk their duties, foist their problems and burdens on others, fail to exert self-discipline, or flaunt their breach of trust, they subtract from their character.
No life can ever be truly great without good character, for, as the Armenian saying goes, “You can’t draw a straight line with a crooked ruler.” Only a “straight ruler” can draw a “straight line.”
Today in our secular society, more than ever before, we need people of good character because what makes a community healthy and strong is the character and integrity of its people, in general, and its leaders, in particular. Needed are people who endeavor to live above the common level of life, who believe in honesty, equity, morality and who practice integrity in all their relationships. Needed are people who would never live their lives with uneasy consciences, knowing that they have used, abused and taken advantage of others.
More than ever before, we need public-spirited, upright and good people, men and women who know how to deal fairly with others; people who know they are not perfect and are not ashamed to admit their faults and accept the responsibility for their failures; people who have courage born of loyalty to all that is noble.
In the final analysis, the thing that matters most is not how we look, but what we are. We can fool part of the people all of the time, and all of the people part of the time, but we can never fool God at all. He knows who we are, what we are, and everything about us. So our major concern in life should not be to impress people but to live before God with no reason for shame.
At all levels of human endeavor—be that church, organization, government, etc.—we need more men and women who can’t be bought; who don’t mortgage integrity to pay for expediency; who have their priorities straight; whose word, oath, handshake and vows are ironclad. Yes, we need people with sound, solid and strong character, for ultimately that is what matters, that is what others will remember about them and about us.
Rev. Dr. Vahan H. Tootikian is the Minister Emeritus of the Armenian Congregational Church of Greater Detroit and the Executive Director of the Armenian Evangelical World Council.
