Are we upside down?

I’ve been kind of quiet the last several days because–quite honestly–I’m just not sure what to say any more. I find myself wondering if the world has really turned upside down…

I grew up with a belief that integrity was important, that telling the truth was an important part of what made a person trustworthy. And yet…I’m still struggling with Aaron Rodgers’ lie about his vaccination status–and the fact that he still doesn’t think he lied. I’m shocked that a lawyer who made a blatant racist comment in a courtroom thought that he was apologizing by saying that he understood some of his words might have been insensitive–and he was sorry if anyone was inadvertently offended. And the former president–and so many of his followers–are still peddling the lie that the election was stolen from him.

I believed that part of our responsibility was to care for one another. Yet as we are still struggling with Covid, many are refusing to wear masks to protect the vulnerable…and many have also indicated that they have no intention of getting vaccinated or getting their children vaccinated to help us get a handle on this horrible pandemic.

I am a follower of Jesus–and my understanding of what that means now (and as I was growing up) was that we were to be stewards of creation. Climate change is real and is changing our world, and yet many refuse to believe it or are willing to make any changes. It is almost too late.

As a follower of Jesus, I grew up hearing his words calling us to care for the refugee…and I watch the news, seeing water cannons being used on people trying to find ways to a better life. I see people being turned back, sent back into hopeless and dangerous situations with no realistic hope of a future for their children. And I see refugees who have been accepted into my country being demonized and attacked.

I grew up believing that diversity made us stronger, and yet now I hear an advisor to the former president demanding that we all worship the Divine in the same way…the way he understands the Divine. I believe that none of us have a complete understanding of who the Divine is–and being willing to share worship experiences with others who have different understandings helps us all grow.

Education has always been important to me. Part of education encourages us to ask questions…to be challenged…to sometimes be uncomfortable. Yet I see librarians under attack for books on the shelf that make some people uneasy, that challenge long-held understandings. I hear people demanding that only one version of history be taught–the history of the victors, not the history of those who have been subjugated and exploited.

What has happened to us?!? The world I grew up in…the expectations about our relationships with each other…all this has been turned upside down. There are some elements of that long-ago world that deserve that, but not everything.

I’ve wondered what I can do to help right the world. Sometimes it feels like it would be so easy to just curl up in a ball and ignore everything else–but I can’t do that. If I do, I enable those that are so determined to keep the world upside down–and I think there is still a lot to salvage! I just can’t give up hope.

What is integrity?

The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines “integrity” this way:

• conduct that conforms to an accepted standard of right and wrong
• devotion to telling the truth
• faithfulness to high moral standards

It’s always been an important characteristic for me.

There have been individuals I have disagreed with–in my faith tradition…in politics…in work–but if I have felt they were persons of integrity I could continue to find ways of working with them. I felt that their inner morality and their outer actions were consistent.

I know it is dangerous to put individuals on pedestals. When we do that, we do not allow them to be human beings, with warts and faults. But we can and should hold each other accountable…to ensure that our words and actions are congruent and that we can be trusted.

That is why I am so deeply disappointed in Aaron Rodgers.

Over the last few years I’ve enjoyed watching him play…watching him lead his football team to victory when they were behind. I’ve laughed at his State Farm commercials with Patrick Mahomes. I’ve felt he was a leader both on and off the field.

But he has lied. Not a little “white” lie–but a lie that has compromised the safety of his teammates and others he has come in contact with.

He has claimed he didn’t lie when he responded that he was “immunized” when asked directly about his vaccination status. Okay, so maybe he didn’t respond that he was “vaccinated”–but for most (if not all) of us, those two words are synonyms. His words appear to have been very carefully chosen to mislead those listening into thinking that he had indeed been vaccinated. He wasn’t.

I would have more respect for him if–in response to that question in August–he had said, “No, I’m not vaccinated. I’m allergic to a couple of the ingredients in the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines, and I’m still uneasy about possible side effects from the Johnson one. I’m looking at some other alternatives, but in the meantime, I will follow the NFL protocol in order to do my best to keep my teammates safe.” He didn’t.

I would also have more respect if–after additional questions came up about his status after getting Covid–he had owned up to his lie of omission and apologized for it Instead he has gone on the attack, blaming everyone but himself for the problems he is now facing.

While he says he’s followed the NFL Covid protocol, he hasn’t completely. He’s appeared at press conferences unmasked. He attended a Halloween party with teammates–a violation of the protocol.

And he’s unrepentant.

Integrity is fragile. Once lost, it’s hard to get back. It’s possible–but it takes a lot of hard work…and a commitment to being absolutely truthful.

I hope Aaron Rodgers can rebuild his integrity. But if his current words of excuse are any example, it’s going to take a long time before I can trust what he says and see him as a leader again.