Honesty - but with a twist

First of all, it's great to be back for 2013.  Another year full of promise, opportunity and adventure to grow - our brains and hearts.

Before we begin this week's topic, i think this is a good piece of wisdom to reflect upon:

'Lord, teach me to number my days, so that I may apply wisdom to them"
(Moses, Psalm 90:12)

Here's the reasoning: if you and I work back from when we are most likely to depart this world (average age of men is about 75 years old), then we have about 30 - 35 years left to live, if you take away 1/3rd in sleeping, and another 1/3rd in infrastructure stuff, like eating,  travelling, doing washing and the like, then that means you and I have about 10 years left (accumulated over the 30 years left) to do what we actually want to do. No much eh?
If you ever catch yourself saying: "ahhh I'm just wasting time" or "ahh, I'm just killing time" or "my how time flies", then slap yourself and stop throwing away one of your most precious resources and spend it wisely!

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So, Honesty, it's an assumed principle that we live by, yet it's a slippery little sucker that is so hard to live out personally and in the world.

For men, it's a constant struggle
For the corporate world, it's something they are desperately trying to manufacture and come back to as a first principle
For legislators, it's in fanatical short supply
For public relations companies, it's been their enemy
For the despot, it's been their weapon of mass destruction
For the philosopher, it's been their double edged sword of seeking it and falsifying it
and for God, He is the author of it.

So God, in his wisdom, says in the early part of human life, as part of the 10 commandments: Don't lie.  (Don't bear false witness against your neighbour)

Funnily enough, Satan is described as the "father of lies" (John 8:44)

Deceit in the heart of men is awful.  I do loath it in myself and the notion that I am dishonest is a character trait I never want pinned to my personhood.

But here's today's twist on this topic: Honesty is some circumstances is being promoted and glorified above the abhorrent behaviour that is being 'honestly' exposed.

Let me explain, something we see time and time again, especially played out in the celebrity or public profile world:

Person acts inappropriately, sinfully, abhorrent behaviour, he's caught in the act, or pushed into a corner where the truth is about to come out, sometimes not, sometimes he just wants to tell his story (either to make money or get recognition perhaps).
He "comes out", he becomes honest with himself and tells the word what he did wrong, sometimes apologising, sometimes not.  BUT! and this is a big BUT, the world (especially the media), glorify him for being honest, uphold him to be a man of great character, of integrity for his 'honesty', for 'coming clean', he's welcomed back with open arms, and Oprah hugs him and says "well done, my amazing celebrity!" and the world claps and cheers him on and off stage....

No mention of the carnage he just left, the lives he deceived  the medals he stole, the children he lied to and let down, the wife he destroyed...

Accountability to your actions have somehow been bypassed and instead the perpetrator has become the victim and because of his "cathartic" experience of "being honest", he's now the hero for doing so.

Lance Armstrong is about to do it this week in an interview with Oprah.  You watch

Tiger Woods, Silvio Berlusconi, Bob Hawke, Russell Brand, Jesse Fink.

Here's an article that typifies what we're discussing today: http://www.dailylife.com.au/life-and-love/real-life/sex-after-separation-20120831-254qj.html

reviewers have praised it" Hard hitting, honest, compelling, raw, fascinating..."

Another case, there we were last year watching the TV miniseries on Bob Hawke and his adulterous relationship with Blanche. Glorifying this "love" (should I say lust) for another women.

"My son, pay attention to my wisdom, turn your ear to my words of insight, that you may maintain discretion and your lips preserve knowledge" (Proverbs 5: 1-2)

"I wisdom dwell together with prudence, I possess knowledge and discretion" (Proverbs 8:12)

Now hear me straight, I esteem honesty and the right and true process for coming clean and facing up to our deceit. But at the expense of telling the whole world about the details of that deceit and making it a public spectacle or commercial value...

What will the daughter say of Jesse Fink? When she reads what her father has done at 10 years old?

What will Lance's kids think?

Why glorify the details over above the actual act of being honest?

I guess my challenge to myself is to maintain honesty as a valuable character trait and not buy the lie of telling the world my sordid stories in the hope that it will give me attention for all the wrong reasons...?

Onerepulic

Secrets

I need another story
Something to get off my chest
My life gets kinda boring
Need something that I can confess

'Til all my sleeves are stained red
From all the truth that I've said
Come by it honestly I swear
Thought you saw me wink, no
I've been on the brink, so

Tell me what you want to hear
Something that'll light those years
Sick of all the insincere
I'm gonna give all my secrets away

This time
Don't need another perfect lie
Don't care if critics ever jump in line
I'm gonna give all my secrets away

My God
Amazing that we got this far
It's like we're chasing all those stars
Driving shiny big black cars

And everyday I see the news, all the problems that we could solve
And when a situation rises, just write it into an album
Seen it straight to gold
I don't really like my flow, no, so

Tell me what you want to hear
Something that'll light those years
Sick of all the insincere
I'm gonna give all my secrets away

This time
Don't need another perfect lie
Don't care if critics ever jump in line
I'm gonna give all my secrets away

Oh, got no reason, got not shame
Got no family I can blame
Just don't let me disappear
I'mma tell you everything

So tell me what you want to hear
Something that'll light those years
Sick of all the insincere
I'm gonna give all my secrets away

This time
Don't need another perfect lie
Don't care if critics ever jump in line
I'm gonna give all my secrets away

So tell me what you want to hear
Something that'll light those years
Sick of all the insincere
I'm gonna give all my secrets away

This time
Don't need another perfect lie
Don't care if critics ever jump in line
I'm gonna give all my secrets away

All my secrets away
All my secrets away

More lyrics: http://www.lyricsmode.com/lyrics/o/one_republic/