Swearing

Matthew 5:33-37 - You have hear it said, "Do not swear falsely." But I say to you, do not swear at all. Let your yes be yes and your no, no. Anything more than that is from evil.

Jesus may have been on to something here. I know that when I am least likely to follow through is when I'm most likely to swear to myself that I will. Desperation to convince myself that I mean it. It doesn't fool me. And I think Jesus is saying here that it doesn't fool anyone else either. In fact, it reminds me of sleazy salesmen - those who do not let you get a word in edgewise, because if they let you think, the sale is lost. That behavior does indeed come from an evil place. When I am confronted with that, I instinctively know (doesn't everyone?) that I am being manipulated. Keeping to the minimum. Yes and no are both complete sentences by themselves.

This speaks to the larger issue of trust. Communities and cities work, society works only when we trust others to do their share. There will always be those on the make, not doing their share. But communities work because  most of us are basically trustworthy. We have integrity. Jesus is asking his listeners (and readers) to have integrity. When people trust others, there is no need to share or persuade. There is only the fact of integrity.

Speaking the truth requires integrity and is the only way to get integrity. Speaking the truth in love always. Without integrity, leaders have no followers - and thus are not leaders. Or, their followers lack integrity as well - and you have a mob or, if you will, a gang. Yet even gangs and police forces have their own integrity separate and apart from society. All are harmed when this happens. Lack of integrity leads to gang violence leads to more lack of integrity. Of course, it is not that simple. That is just one line of the breakdown of intersectional lines of disorder.

It helps me to remember that Jesus lived in a similar world. Yet he was able to have integrity and through that came hope for a better life for many. That is sorely needed today. Hope.
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