David Gergen’s article in U.S. News and World Report, December 12, 2009 issue decries the lack of leadership in the U.S.
Indeed, confidence in government plummeted back in the ’60s and ’70s and has never really recovered. It was nearly four decades ago that John Gardner first observed that at the founding, with a population of 3 million, the republic spawned a dozen world-class leaders—Washington, Jefferson, Franklin, Adams, Madison, and Hamilton among them—but today, with a population nearly 100 times that, we struggle to produce even one or two.
Character and leadership is particularly important today. At the U.S. Air Force Academy I was responsible for the character education of 4200 colleges students who are future leaders in our military. Just a few years after graduation, these young leaders will be responsible for deployment and use of all kinds of weapons including nuclear weapons. We must be able to trust them. Yet at American colleges and universities character has dropped off the radar screen in the past few decades. This coincides with when the Bible was pulled from public schools and played a lesser role in colleges. Many of the top colleges and univsersites in American werre founded in bible teachings and now have turned to secular curricula.
While there are many great accounts and parables in the Bible that involve character, there are several direct commentaries on character. In the Letter to the Colossians, the Apostle Paul urges the Colossians “to death therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature; sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed which is idolatrynow you must rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. Do not lie to each other” Interestingly, all of these are selfish and self-absorbed character traits.
In contrast, the Apostle Paul urges the Colossians to “clothe yourself with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience” and with forbearance, forgiveness and love. Who would not want to have a neighbor or friend with these character traits? All of these traits show concern for others. One of the most interesting of these traits is compassion, which in the Greek language (in which this part of the Bible was originally written) did not exist previously in the Greek language. Greeks hid their emotions. The Greek Stoics were a classic example of people who held back their emotions and worked to avoid emotional engagement. It was therefore not only perfectly acceptable to walk by an injured person who was lying in pain and need of help, but it was expected that one did that. The Bible introduced the concept of taking care of every human being. What an amazing character trait! Most Americans would agree with biblical virtues.
The Bible also inspired much thought about character. In the sixth century, Pope Gregory developed the notion of the Seven Deadly Sins which Dante in his classic “The Divine Comedy” developed as sins that were to be dealt with in going from Inferno (Hell) to Paradiso (Paradise). For Dante, each of the Seven Deadly Sins represented broken loves: the first three broken loves are perverted loves: Pride, Envy and Anger. They all lead to a very destructive path. The fourth broken love, Sloth, is insufficient love. The last three broken loves are misdirected loves. There is nothing wrong with having money, except the attitude of greed and hoarding money for yourself. There is nothing wrong with eating food. We have to eat food to live. But Gluttony, stuffing yourself, is a misdirected love. Likewise, sex within marriage is a wonderful thing designed for procreation. However, unchecked lust is going too far.
Interestingly, the only way that Dante can deal with these seven broken loves is to apply The Beatitudes, a section in the Gospel of Matthew. It is humility and actively serving others that is the best antidote that allows Dante to rise through the seven terraces breaking the bondage of each of the Seven Deadly Sins or seven broken loves.
The Bible was taught in public schools from the earliest days of American settlers in the early 17th century. It was the basis for teaching character to the next generation. Since the U.S. Supreme Court outlawed the devotional teaching of the Bible in public schools in 1963 in Abington v. Schempp, character education in the public schools has largely disappeared. Yet, businesses need people of character to lead. The number one character trait desired by businesses in two South Carolina Chamber of Commerce surveys, one in 1998 and one in 2000 is honesty.
Essentials in Education, the parent company of Bible Literacy Project, is working with The Business Roundtable, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the American Bankers Association and Character.org to develop character standards for school curricula in America that businesses can support. This group expects to make an announcement about standards for character education by late 2015.
It doesn’t matter what our faith background is, businesses need schools and parents to again teach these Biblical character traits if we want to flourish as a society.
Mark Hyatt is the former CEO of Character.org. He was also Director of the Center for Character and Leadership Development at the U.S. Air Force Academy, President of the International Center for Academic Integrity at Duke University (now located at Clemson U). Hyatt served in the role of school Superintendent for ten years and was Executive Director of Colorado Charter School Institute. He is currently President of Cloudcross Consulting, helping leaders succeed.
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