Frankl Ethic

In the Church, “to whom much is given, much will be required” says Saint Luke in chapter 12.

In the West, “to whom much is given, much is tested” says Saint Kanye of Chicago.

In the eye of ethics, balance freedom and responsibility.

There’s not much as piercing to people as the teeter-totter slide when it comes to justice. Judgement has gotten a bad wrap. Decision-making has attained a high value. Standards are forever subjective. And justice has suffered under this weight.

While I prefer just treatment and fair shots, I’m under zero obligation to give that to others. I’m the objective beholder of ethical behavior. I know my worth. I’m all about positive energy. I will not stand in the shadows just so you can feel better about yourself adjusting the spotlight. And all that other jazz….

Covid and lockdown and shelter-in-place has unearthed the realities that were already present. Nobody’s concerned about the freedom spoken of within the Constitution. No one is striving after being responsible in several spheres of influence. In other words, ethics has gone the way of the do-do bird. Balance is not what the Western world is truly after.

Don’t be mistaken, we want both freedom and responsibility. And when do we want it – as soon as it’ll get us off the hook. Perhaps Saint Luke was onto something in chapter 12. The very things we crave to be given come with a high dose of reciprocity. The requirement of attaining don’t mesh with the tendency to withhold. It’s a give and take situation.

Viktor Frankl proposed a thought as deep as the ocean: keep the statue of liberty in the East and put the statue of responsibility in the West. So as the sun rises and then sets, the proverbial American cannot forget the shadows of freedom and responsibility. It’s basic ethics 101.

Unfortunately, the community of Jesus-followers tend to resemble the community of anti-Jesus followers when ethics is on the menu. Both communities would do well to listen to Saint Luke.