Character Matters

 Character matters - in a nation, in leaders, in politicians, in individuals. In my opinion, character matters more than any other factor.

Character shapes what a person does, particularly in difficult times, with difficult issues. Character determines how a person views and treats another, particularly those who are vulnerable, powerless, and easily exploited. Character shapes how a person uses power - in all its forms - especially the advantages s/he enjoys. Character determines what a person values and how s/he lives out those values. Character determines what a person gives themselves to and what they pursue. 

Character reflects who a person is at the core which, in turn, determines everything else about them. 

The character of a nation determines whether it is truly great. The character of a nation determines how it treats its citizens - all its citizens. The character of a nation determines how it relates to other nations. The character of a nation determines how it uses its power. The character of a nation determines how it uses its resources. The character of a nation determines what it values. The character of a nation determines how long it will survive.

The character of a leader determines how s/he leads. The character of a leader determines how s/he uses her position and the powers inherent in it. The character of a leader determines how s/he treats those s/he leads. The character of a leader permeates and impacts - for good or evil - the organization-institution-nation s/he leads. The character of a leader, more than his/her vision or skills, determines the leader's effectiveness.

Character determines a politician's politics. Character determines how the politician uses the position and office, particularly the influence and access that go with it. Character determines what the politician values and how those values are lived out. Character determines who the politicians serves - those s/he represents or self. 

Character is essential. 

This truth is reflected in who God is, i.e., God's character. On Mt. Sinai, Moses asked to see God's glory - God's essence, what made God to be God. The LORD responded by revealing God's character. God's character is described by two Hebrew adjectives: merciful and gracious (Exodus 34:6-7). The New Testament writers used the word love to define God's merciful and gracious character. God's character of self-giving love governs everything that God does. It determines how God views us. It determines how God relates to us. It determines how God uses power (hint: always to serve, to nurture life and growth).  

Jesus was the in-the-flesh expression of God's character. The writer of Hebrews spoke of him as the radiance of God's glory (Hebrews 1:3). The life of Jesus reflects what the character of God looks like in human flesh. His teachings give us glimpses of the ways of God, i.e., the Kingdom of God. (The Kingdom is found in any community where the character of God shapes the community's life and the ways of God are lived. I identify four central characteristics of the Kingdom in my book A God-Shaped World: Exploring Jesus's Teachings about the Kingdom of God and the Implications for the Church Today.) 

The character of God, in turn, shapes the character of God's people and the followers of Jesus. The ancient Hebrew prophets confronted the nations of Judah and Israel when the practices and policies of their society did not reflect the ways of God. They proclaimed justice and righteousness as essential characteristics of the nation's character. Justice and righteousness, for the prophets, were reflected in how the powerless and most vulnerable were treated. For the prophets, justice was not a legal term; righteousness was not a moral term. Both were relational terms that spoke of how to live in relationship with one another in a community shaped by the character of God. Justice is power used to advocate for and empower the powerless - the widow, the orphan, the immigrant (Isaiah 1:17). Righteousness is to live faithfully (rightly) with one another. 

Character matters.