Text: Matthew 7:24-27 Everyone who hears these words of mine and acts on them
Principle: Values guide our actions. Have you heard the expression of a ‘moral compass’? A friend of mine was accused of lacking one, and was most offended! This assumes that we have guiding values, which like a compass provide us with a sense of orientation and how to behave appropriately.
The problem is that no one has a monopoly on values. Phil is one of my closest friends, we started high school together and have been friends for about 60 years. He is politically conservative and has moved to Queensland where he feels perfectly at home. We have had some conversations about Donald Trump. I believe there is no high moral ground when it comes to politics in Australia, generally we vote for different agendas because we have different values. Jonathan Haidt in The Righteous Mind: why good people are divided by politics and religion (2012) is a good exploration of this theme.
I should affirm pro-social values. After all Putin has values of patriotism and ‘might is right’. Perhaps a neo-Nazi bikie gang has values as well such as loyalty and not being a snitch. But generally pro social values are simply values which appeal to us. It is like our choice in pizzas: You might like Hawaiian, but I prefer Supreme.
How to:
Tom Ripley was a con artist who assumes the identity of a man he murdered. At the end of the film The Talented Mr Ripley (1999), “I’m lost… I’m going to be stuck in the basement, aren’t I? That is my terrible [fate] I have lied about who I am, and where I am, and now nobody will ever find me… I suppose I’ve always thought it’s better to be a fake somebody that real nobody.”
Shalom Schwartz, a psychologist, classified values in four categories:
- Self-transcendence (in terms of the welfare of others or nature).
- Self-enhancement (self-interest through ambition, success and control).
- Conservatism (preserve status quo through traditions, compliance and security).
- Openness to change (creativity, independence, novelty and excitement).
I have argued that there are no absolutes when it comes to values. However, it is important to be clear about personal values.
How applied in psychology:
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) emphasises values. Russ Harris described values as “our hearts deepest desires for how we want to behave; how we want to treat ourselves, others and the world around us.”
He gave the example of Fred who started up a business venture that went terribly wrong. As a result he and his wife lost everything they owned, including their house. In dire financial straits they moved from the city to the country so they could find somewhere affordable to rent. Fred found a job in the local boarding school, which catered for foreign students mainly teenagers from China and Korea. His a low-paying job kept him from his wife five nights a week. But he tapped into his core values: being helpful, supportive, caring and encouraging. He began to teach the children new and useful skills such as ironing and cooking simple meals. He helped them film a humorous documentary about student life. On top of this he became the students’ unofficial counsellor. He was not paid for the extra work, but he did it purely and simply because he was acting on his values. As a result his quality of life improved becoming more meaningful and fulfilling.
You would not have been surprised if Fred became depressed after he lost everything and had to make-a-tree-change. But he didn’t. Acting from his values gave his life meaning and insulated him from the crushing disappointment of losing everything. Values can also provide motivation to act in healthy ways. I used the example of a grandmother with arthritis who forces herself to be more active, even at the cost of increasing physical pain, to go to the park with her grandchildren. The values of family and relationships override the cost of physical pain. Acting from values can help people overcome barriers such as anxiety or panic attacks, or PTSD.
Values have a transformative power. Studies have shown that ethics and values can change our inner world and alter the way we perceive and react to stimuli. For example, a person who has regard for honesty will genuinely reflect the same actions. That person would be less likely to engage in behaviours such as lying, stealing, cheating, or using any unfair means to accomplish personal goals.
How relevant to Spirituality:
I would recommend doing two things to guide your sense of mission. First fill out a value clarification questionnaire. They are found online. ACT has developed The Valued Living Questionnaire (VLQ). Then write your own personal mission statement (about a paragraph). I have done this a number of times over the years and found it very useful.
How you invest your life, both to fulfil your obligations and to benefit others, is one of the most important questions you will need to answer. It is worthy of thought and being open to guidance from God.
Here is an example of a modest expression of values with a spiritual application. Ann and I were married a little over 12 months ago. We really didn’t need wedding guests to bring gifts since we had probably two or three of everything normally required for couples. So we asked people, who wanted to give, to make a donation to either the RSPCA or Opportunity International. The first reflected Ann’s commitment to helping animals and the 2nd to my long-standing commitment to helping poor people in the Third World start small ventures. I do not see any particular merit in being able to support worthy causes, it is simply a matter of expressing values.
To Do: Do you have a favourite saint? As you think about the ‘heroes of faith’ over the centuries, are you drawn to anyone? Maybe St Francis with his devotion to creation? Julian of Norwich with her creativity and radical spirituality? St Ignatius Loyola with his militant faith? How does this person express certain spiritual values and draw you to emulate them?
Mother Teresa was asked by a reporter how she could help in the face of such need? She replied, your mathematics are different to mine. You add, I subtract. I help one, and then another and then another.
If you get a moment this week, think about how you express your spiritual values? Can you articulate some short term and long-term goals? Maybe pray about it.
Conclusion
Lawrence of Arabia in 7 Pillars of Wisdom, “All men dream, but not equally. Those who dream by night in the dusty recesses of their minds, waken the day to find that it was vanity. But the dreamers of the day are dangerous men, they may act on their dreams with open eyes, to make them possible.” TE Lawrence.
Rev Dr Bruce Stevens is supply minister at GUC until the end of 2024.