Nov 4 2019 Psalm 57

They have dug a pit before me, but have fallen into it themselves.

Throughout my career, I’ve heard advice that would have me avoid building pits. In my first job as assistant city manager, my very wise city manager lived by a hard rule, for all the right reasons, I think. He said he’d always follow the rules set out for both personnel matters and city code to the letter. That way, he never had to question his own motives, or wonder how he’d handled a specific situation. If he did precisely what was laid out, he knew he could recreate what he’d done, and be able to defend it, if his decision was every questioned. Later, in the world of law enforcement, it was frequently obvious when someone was spinning a tale, because they’d get tripped up trying to retell it. The truth, however remained the same.

All of that is to say that it seems to me that of course, if someone is in the business of digging pits to trap someone else, they’re likely to get trapped themselves. But if you never dig traps to harm someone else, you’re unlikely to fall in it.

We don’t much build traps any more, but the same could be said for unkind words, or conniving ways. If I speak unkind words about someone, it is likely that someone will have cause to speak unkind words about me. Or if I do something to harm or malign someone else, I’ve put myself in the camp of thugs who do that.

But generally, when I think about doing or saying something unkind or not right, it’s because I feel I’ve been wronged first. And here’s the thing. It does not matter who started it, or how justified I feel I am. If I strive to do the right thing every time, I can always look back and hold my head up, regardless of what pits were dug to trip me up. 

In any circumstance or work encounter or job, the only thing I can take with me when I leave is my integrity, and it turns out, I’m the only one who can leave it behind. This morning, I’m thinking about our human nature to dig pits and to want to get even, or get the upper hand. It is true that when we dabble in that way of living, we check our integrity at the door, and risk leaving it behind. Tonight, I want to go to bed without questioning whether I left it anywhere; I don’t want to dig any pits, regardless of what the day looks like.