Integrity and Wholeness

An admonishment that I remember from childhood was, “Don’t lie.” In our house there were serious repercussions for a slip in honesty. Sometimes I thought my parents had ESP because they somehow found out things they weren’t even around to observe. Anyway, even if the issue of dealing with a lie took weeks, the difficult resolution was to face the person to whom I lied and apologize. These weren’t lessons in shame or guilt, but in healing a relationship. Even as a youngster I knew that, as painful as it was enduring the sheer honesty and vulnerability of looking into someone’s face and apologizing. I learned quickly as I had three older brothers whom I watched recover from the practice even as we had to work through practice among each other. These were wise lessons: “Whatsoever things are of good report . . . think on those things” (Philippians 4:8).