Anthony Weiner is back. OK, he never really went away but his problems have resurfaced. Weiner, the former New York congressman who is now running for mayor of NYC, is back in the news having to explain vulgar pictures he took of himself and sent to others — after he had resigned for doing the same thing as a sitting congressman.
What does it say about our society that we have come to expect our politicians to be slimy?
We watch a press conference and assume that some, if not most, of what they are telling us is untrue.
We joke about a politician “flip-flopping” but it doesn’t really upset us.
Could it be that our comfort level for unethical behavior is stooping lower and lower? Instead of raising the bar by expecting more, we shrug our shoulders and accept things “the way they are.”
When leaders lack integrity, regardless if they are politicians, parents, or pastors, it erodes our communal ability to extend trust to one another. Dishonest leaders do more than reflect poorly on themselves; they create weak spots in the very values that their organization claim to uphold.
Ironically, leaders who lack integrity are often concerned about their image. It’s why politicians “spin” issues to put themselves in the best possible light. But, let’s be honest, it’s not only politicians who do all the spinning. Instead of improving our image, a fast-and-loose approach to the truth actually mars our true image — the image that was created to be like God.
Integrity matters because so much is on the line.
Don’t accept less from those you follow and those you lead. And from yourself.