Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) Draws a Rare Foul

Imagine my horror when opening the news and seeing the headline that the U.S. Justice Department, assisted by Swiss authorities, had filed corruption charges against 14 FIFA officials. (Yes that was sarcasm, because like most Americans I had no clue what FIFA was.) Anyhow, the crux of the charges in the indictment surround alleged bribes and kickbacks ($150 million worth) in exchange for votes for host countries of the World Cup and providing lucrative media and marketing rights. The World Cup is the Mecca of world of soccer. It’s where all those soccer moms and dads aspire to see their progeny compete when they grow up.

I do not know if the charges have validity, but it does remind me that the Bible has something to say about bribes. If you do a word search of “bribe” in the Bible, some common themes appear. For example, Deuteronomy 16:19 says, “Do not pervert justice or show partiality. Do not accept a bribe, for a bribe blinds the eyes of the wise and twists the words of the innocent.” Fascinating. We in the church spend a lot of time praising God’s grace and soaking up his mercy. We easily forget — to our own peril — that our God of grace and mercy is also the God of Justice and fairness. Bribes have terrible power. Deuteronomy 16:19 warns us that bribes have the power to make even the wise impotent in their discernments. Bribes also dupe otherwise innocent people to justify unethical practices. Bribes in developed countries buy unmerited access.

Human beings are clever, too clever for our own good. In our western sophistication we take the distasteful word “bribe” and turn it into a more palatable word or phrase (a euphemism) such as an “incentive,” or a “gift,” or a “fee,” or a “contribution” . . . the possibilities are many. I once worked for a retail company where our wholesale supplier gave us what they called “premiums” for buying more of their products. The premiums came in the form of TVs, stereos, golf clubs, vacations, tickets to professional sporting events and so forth. Granted, the wholesaler did not expect us to do anything illegal, but they did expect that their premiums would buy our loyalty, even if some of their products were subpar or overpriced. The Bible warns us that bribes, in any form, are dangerous. Bribes spread like cancer throughout a society until they become standard operating procedure. And in the process they weaken trust, which is the foundation of a healthy society.

I noticed that many of the comments under online articles about the FIFA indictments came from people expressing their satisfaction that FIFA leaders were finally, after decades of illicit behavior, going to get their comeuppance (an archaic term used to describe a punishment or fate that someone deserves). While I appreciate that most people have a healthy sense of justice, the fact remains that institutions such as the U.S. Justice Department, despite its vast resources, can’t make people ethical. The law has always been inadequate at forcing people to be ethical. Only the work of God’s spirit can lift people up and heal their ethics, and even then it can take a long time with many ups and downs.

Allow me to swing this topic around to our situation here in America. We have become so sophisticated in our bribery that it can be nearly impossible to discern a bribe from a legitimate business exchange. There is no easy formula to help us navigate away from cleverly camouflaged bribes. The best I can come up with is that a legitimate business exchange would occur naturally even if the bribe was removed from the equation. A bribe gives one party an advantage over others. The person offering the bribe does not have to compete on a level playing field. Ultimately we desperately need a higher percentage of citizens who have sought and encountered Christ. Only then will people have the chance to acquire the necessary spiritual acumen to recognize and reject bribes throughout our society, though it won’t happen without resistance.

Should you mistrust people?

Yes, if you want to end up like Howard Hughes (without the money). People who lose the ability to trust can find themselves, later in life, living in a darkened studio apartment, chain-smoking, watching television 24/7, and nursing a bottle of vodka. OK maybe that’s an exaggeration. Or is it?

Of course a healthy dose of mistrust is necessary for protection. Spiritual discernment, and our gut-feeling, can often warn us about untrustworthy people. Unfortunately there is not a 100 percent effective formula we can follow to protect us from untrustworthy people. If an employer betrays you, or a partner stabs you in the back in a business venture, or a spouse cheats, it can trigger a lifelong negative effect on your interaction with others. If we overreact with mistrust we can end up harming our significant relationships by directing mistrust towards people who do not deserve it. The following is an excellent article on the symptoms and consequences of excessive mistrust: http://www.goodtherapy.org/therapy-for-trust-issues.html

When we openly direct our mistrust without evidence at innocent people we are, in a way, bearing false witness. (See Exodus 20:16 . . . and yes, it is one of the big Ten.) I suspect God included it in The Ten Commandments as more than a protection of the innocent, but to also dissuade accusers who do not trust anyone. In other words, it is there to get would-be accusers to examine their own hearts and minds.

Don’t get me wrong, the Bible seemingly confuses us regarding trust in people. For instance, Psalm 118:8 says:

“It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in man.”

But then 1 Corinthians 13 talks at length about the ways of love. Verse 5 says love keeps no record of wrongs people inflict on us (paraphrasing). Clearly love cannot exist without some degree of trust. So what is the solution? Should we go through life blindly trusting like Princess Aurora in Sleeping Beauty, or should we plod through life trusting only our self and the hell with everyone else? The answer is a little of both. The Bible says we should be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves. If I trusted everyone who came to my door I would be locked into at least three pest exterminator contracts, two cable TV contracts, three home security contracts, a dozen magazine subscriptions (I love my monthly edition of Hummingbird Enthusiast), and I’d own two sets of solar panels as well as two home heating and air conditioning systems . . . AND I’d be going door to door with the Jehovah’s Witnesses. On the other hand, because I have the capacity to trust with discernment, I get a cupboard full of delicious Girl Scout cookies every year. (The day one of those cute little Girl Scouts embezzles my cookie money is the day I embrace my inner paranoid personality disorder.)

Most importantly we have to embrace the truth that despite what happens here on earth, God can be trusted. It’s a hard truth to practice consistently throughout this life of tears. But if we can’t often return to a God of trustworthiness, we can’t hope to live wisely in this life where we will, no matter what defenses of mistrust we erect, encounter occasional back stabbers. I don’t want to miss out on relationships with people who bless my life because I am afraid of encountering a few rotten apples. (And I don’t want to end up on the wrong end of that bottle of vodka, either.)

Will the California Highway Patrol Crash and Burn?

A few days ago a video went viral showing a California Highway Patrol officer punching a woman on the ground beside a road. The video elicits a visceral reaction from viewers, resulting in an emotional public outcry. (I know, thank you Captain Obvious.) But let’s set aside the video for now and think about the broader issue of the relationship between the California Highway Patrol and the public they serve.

Years ago, the California Highway Patrol had a reputation as being the best of the best in the world of uniformed law enforcement. They put the safety and trust of the public above their own interests. I don’t know for certain, but I hope that is still true today. This incident with the officer punching the lady on the ground is an opportunity for the Highway Patrol to conduct a transparent investigation that leads to the truth, or as close to the truth as humanly possible. Whatever their leadership does, it is hoped their response will focus exclusively on even-handed justice AND the trust of the people they serve and police. We give them a badge and tremendous authority and we pray they do not abuse our trust.

What does this have to do with faith and the church? It has to do with trust. Trust is similar to virginity; once it’s gone it’s gone. I’ve read studies that indicate people don’t trust as much as they used to. They are suspicious and fearful of other people and they don’t trust formerly venerable institutions, and sometimes that includes the church. People instinctively know that most institutions have a tendency to prioritize the needs of the institution and its leaders above the people they serve. Of course institutions would never admit to such a culture within their ranks. They may not even be aware of the ways they damage trust. They proclaim to always put their customers and constituents first.

Jesus was clearly more interested in advocating for the common people. He did not participate in maintaining the positions and nests of those in power, and that included the religious machine of the day. In fact, he did just the opposite. He shook the foundations of their entrenched corruption. Luke 11:45 says:

Jesus replied, “And you experts in the law, woe to you, because you load people down with burdens they can hardly carry, and you yourselves will not lift one finger to help them.”

I am fearful that the modern church has lost a great deal of public trust, at least here in America. There could be legions of reasons for this loss of trust, some valid and some imagined. For instance, some point their accusatory finger at highly public failures of institutions to protect the most innocent and vulnerable among their ranks; think Catholic Church or Penn State sexual abuse of children scandals. Others believe institutions just want their money and do not care about them as a person. Still others see their political leaders as blind and deaf to the situations of average people, pandering more to the wants of the wealthy and connected. Restoring the trust of the people could be a long process, and it won’t happen unless we first admit that the trust has been damaged and something needs to be done about it. I suspect Christ’s church is the most appropriate place to start focusing on rebuilding trust. And here’s a hint: it can’t be accomplished with a six week sermon series. I’m just saying.

Bamboozled: The Value of Trust

If you have a few decades under your belt (or in my case sagging over the belt), you’ve likely had the unpleasant experience of being conned by an unscrupulous person or business. Recently, it happened to some folks who are very dear to me. (We’ll call them Ben and Liz). Ben and Liz managed a large event where they sold refreshments. The company that provided the debit and credit card machines for the event withdrew, under a dubious pretense, several thousand dollars from the business account of Ben and Liz. Ben and Liz had to battle through the legal process with the credit card company, but eventually their money was returned. This experience opened their eyes to the unfortunate reality that there are people and businesses out there that make a lot of money by pushing the boundaries of ethics. Some even have no problem with outright stealing. In other words, you can’t trust everyone, it seems.

A lot of businesses people could take a clue from my mechanic. I have one of those rare mechanics who doesn’t try to upsell me. I have brought my truck to our mechanic a few times for problems that turned out to be nothing serious. He didn’t charge me a dime. That builds trust. When something major goes wrong with my truck you can be sure I take it to my favorite mechanic because I trust that he will not take advantage of me. Of course, trustworthiness is something you either have or you don’t.

The gradual destruction of trust in our society has consequences. Many people don’t know God because they have had their trust abused by life. As a result, they don’t know if individual Christians can be trusted. They don’t know if the church can be trusted. They don’t know if clergy can be trusted. They don’t know if the Bible can be trusted. And they don’t know if God can be trusted. But Psalm 118:8 says:

“It is better to take refuge in the LORD
than to trust in people.”

The reality is that sometimes horrible things happen to the most loyal and loving followers who put their trust in God. That’s why I very much appreciate the inclusion of verses 14 and 15 in Psalm 91:

“The Lord says, ‘I will rescue those who love me.
I will protect those who trust in my name.
When they call on me, I will answer;
I will be with them in trouble.'”

That last line is very important: “I will be with them in trouble.” It is a dose of reality. It tells us to expect trouble. You may have heard the term “wait for it.” Well, God promises to be there with us in hardship and to rescue us if we wait for it . . . or rather, wait for him. I won’t jerk your chain. The truth is that sometimes we have to wait a long time for deliverance. Perhaps that is because building trust can take a long time after it has been abused.

Trust

Do you think a car salesperson would sell you a car that costs more than you can really afford? Would a mobile phone customer service agent sell you a more elaborate two-year contract than you need? Would a heating and air technician push an unnecessary service plan for your home system? Would an electronics company sell you a product and pressure you to purchase the extended warranty? Would a real estate agent try to sell you a house that costs a little more than you can afford? Would an employer hire or promote a family member or friend over you, even though you are more qualified?

Now that I’ve offended several professions, I must include a caveat: Obviously many people in these professions conduct themselves in an ethical manner. But most of us have had the unpleasant experience of being taken advantage of by someone or some institution. In his book Coming Apart, Charles Murray says “The raw material that makes community even possible has diminished so much in Fishtown (a typical poor neighborhood in America) that the situation may be beyond retrieval. The raw material is social trust—not trust in a particular neighbor who happens to be your friend, but a generalized expectation that the people around you will do the right thing.”

Here are some alarming statistics from Murray’s research: Those in the well-to-do city of Belmont (not its real name) who would say “People can generally be trusted” declined from 75% to about 60% between 1970 and 2010. The demise of trust in the poor community of Fishtown was even more striking; it went from 45% to 20% between 1970 and 2010.

Americans are becoming less trustful of each other. This is a grave indicator of a sick culture; a culture fraying at the edges. At best it will lead to a nation of mediocrity, at worst it could completely unravel and lead to the dissolution of a once great nation.

These statistics made me think about Christians and the church and our ability to preserve our culture. Are we offering people something to trust in? Do we offer it in the way we conduct our personal and professional lives? We Americans have historically bought into the philosophy of buyer and seller beware. It’s a way of conducting business that says buyers and sellers are responsible to educate themselves to make sure they do not get taken advantage of. This philosophy, supposedly, does not tolerate outright theft or lying. But if, for instance, a person buys an antique from someone for pennies on the dollar, well, that’s ok because the buyer has no moral obligation to tell the seller that the antique is worth much more. This philosophy has contributed to the destruction of trust in America and is not Biblical. I believe it is likely a sin.

A few months ago I was watching a television program I had never seen before. It’s called American Pickers. It’s about these two guys who travel around buying antiques and memorabilia from people, then fixing the stuff up for resale. In this particular episode the two pickers met with an elderly man who had a lot of old stuff on his property and in his shed. The man was so aged he could barely walk and he wasn’t as quick-witted as he probably was as a young man. Anyhow, the pickers spotted a valuable item (I think it was an old saddle or something) and offered the elderly owner much (and I mean waaaay much) less than its value. The owner sold it to the pickers for the low price. The pickers were elated. Nobody would deny the pickers the right to make a profit. But the way the transaction was conducted with the elderly gentleman seemed unseemly, if not downright cruel and unethical.

Philippians 2:4 says, “Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.”

If we want our lives to mean something, then we should probably begin by showing others they can trust us. It’s hard to do in our self-serving culture. Once again we need the Holy Spirit’s love and power to help us live in a countercultural way. If people can trust us, then maybe it will be easier for them to trust God.