Inner-directedness
My Dear People,
"To err is Truman."
While his stock has risen in recent years, so that he is now widely considered one of the most effective chief executives of the 20th century, Harry Truman went out of office in 1953 a very unpopular president.
Truman knew what it was to be reviled, and he knew what it was to be adored. And he trusted neither.
Historian David McCullough reports that what was considered Truman's most popular decision, the decision to enter the Korean War, was to him the most difficult to make; while, on the other hand, his least popular decision, to dismiss General Douglas MacArthur, was to him his easiest decision.
Truman feared that, by landing on the Korean peninsula, a nuclear war would be inaugurated. And, as regards MacArthur, he saw it simply as a matter of upholding the Constitution, that no military officer could be allowed to override the elected civilian authority.
The details and particular reasoning aside, and with no intention of somehow deifying Truman, I find the contrast between those two decisions stunning: again, his most popular decision was, to him, the hardest; his least popular decision was, to him, the easiest.
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We--Gena and I--anticipate the birth of our second son any day now. I am passing some of the time, meanwhile, reading David McCullough's biography of our 33rd president. While Harry Truman's biography won't be on my short list of things to teach my son, I will say that, as time goes by, one of the things that I would most want for him is integrity. Or, to put it another way, inner-directedness, as a spiritual mentor of mine puts it.
Of course we should all be well aware of what is going on "out there," that is, around us, in the world, in the lives and hearts and minds of others, especially those whose judgment we especially trust. And, of course, the shape of our lives should be outer-directed in the sense of being oriented outward in love, compassion, and generosity. However, all of that said, ultimately it is inward we must look to know what it right. Finally, no one else can tell us.
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"When the days drew near for him to be taken up, he set his face to go to Jerusalem."
Jesus had tried to tell his disciples what he had to do, but they still found it baffling; unbelievable; unacceptable, really.
Nevertheless, he knew what he had to do; even with all the rejection, cruelty, terror, doubt, and loneliness that he faced. Even though no one else understood, even though no one agreed with him. He knew what he had to do.
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To look within, with confidence, not merely looking to oneself, but believing that the source--I should say, the Source--of all wisdom and truth and strength and courage is present in us. This is to trust ourselves, in a sense; but, more importantly, and more profoundly, it is to learn to trust the God present within, what St. Paul was talking about when he said that Christ is in us, the Spirit of Christ.
Of course, before we can trust, we must listen. And listen deeply.
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It's no wonder that the word "obedience" comes from the Latin to hear, to listen (audire).
We must listen.
We must pray.
And, even then, of course we will sometimes err.
And, yes. Yes. That's all the more reason to listen all the more deeply.
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Inner-directedness.
There is nothing I want more for my son.
Or for myself.
Or for you.
Your brother in
Christ,
Wallace+
