"Beware of the scribes, who like to go around in long robes
and accept greetings in the marketplaces,
seats of honor in synagogues,
and places of honor at banquets.
They devour the houses of widows and, as a pretext
recite lengthy prayers.
They will receive a very severe condemnation.”
I must sheepishly admit, that whenever I hear this indictment against the scribes in the Gospel of Mark, I feel more that a bit uncomfortable. We clergy in our ‘long robes’ do indeed accept greetings and seats of honor and places of honor at banquets. While to the best of my recollection, I have never ‘devoured the houses of widows,’ I have indeed recited over the course of my life ‘lengthy prayers!’ However, before I go down the road of being too hard on myself, it is clear that the Lord is using his indicting example of the scribes to ultimately talk about the sin of hypocrisy that was so often mirrored in the life of the scribes.
What the Lord was ultimately talking about was challenging all of us, especially those who have been invested with authority as leaders, whether that be religious, political or the myriad of leadership opportunities that may come our way in life, to live lives of authentic integrity. Living lives of authentic integrity is the hard work of living the values we preach. Failing to do that is the very definition of hypocrisy.
Yesterday, I had the opportunity to watch the funeral service for a true American hero, General Colin Powell at the National Cathedral. General Powell has been a hero of mine for many years. I was moved by his autobiography of some years ago and have greatly admired his integrity as a soldier, a statesman, a loving husband and father and a citizen of sterling and enduring human virtue.
In one of the several eulogies given at the service, mention was made of the insightful distinction between resume virtues and eulogy virtues by the author, David Brooks. While Colin Powell’s resume virtues filled countless pages, his eulogy virtues that meant more to him and others who came to admire and love him in life, were basically the enduring virtues that make all persons great in the Kingdom of God: empathy, selfless love, love of truth, honesty, faith and unwavering hope in God’s unfailing mercy. It is precisely these virtues that endear one to others and make one truly great in the eyes of the Lord of life and love.
Authentic integrity in leadership as a father, mother, teacher, clergy or President, flows from our unwillingness to live by the often-petty wants, expectations and desires of others and to be willing to listen to that inner voice of conscience as the north star of our lives. Let that be the grace we pray for this day and every day of our lives.