Righteousness

In Isaiah 33 it is written, “Then justice will dwell in the wilderness, and righteousness abide in the fruitful field. And the effect of righteousness will be peace, and the result of righteousness, quietness and trust forever.”

Justice is the foundation of a healthy community. Righteousness is the foundation of a healthy individual.

In the book of Isaiah the most common Hebrew equivalents for righteousness are three forms of the verb צֶ֫דֶק or tsedaq. These terms are closely related to justice. But where mishpat (see yesterday's post) is a community value, tsedaq is more personal. Justice is evidence of God’s will expressed in community. Righteousness is evidence of God’s will expressed within the individual.

In Matthew 19 Jesus recites the six commandments of social justice and the young man responds, “All these I have observed; what do I still lack?” To which Jesus answers, “If you would be perfect, go, sell what you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come follow me.”

The young man’s follow-on question suggests he has perceived a void. He has fulfilled the obligations of social justice. But at a deeply psychological and spiritual level his beliefs and behavior are not fully integrated. Something is missing.

The follow-on answer Jesus gives for filling the void is not well-received. Matthew reports, “When the young man heard this he went away sorrowful; for he had great possessions.”

Jesus perceived in the young man an unresolved tension. Was his fundamental sense-of-self a reflection of his possessions? Or was the young man’s self-identity a reflection of his relationship with God?

The young man was unable to readily conceive of a self that was not dependent on his possessions. The young man was also unable to conceive of a more profound self entirely independent of any externality. Righteousness is a full acceptance of our shared identity with God; the discovery of our authentic selves within the purpose of God.

Are we creatures of our salary, our office, our authority over others, or are we expressions of the creativity and love of God?

The corporate bureaucrat – so well captured by the Dilbert cartoons – is desperate to preserve every illusion of authority and prestige. Most of us have encountered the petty tyrannies that result from what is basically a fearful seeking for control and external assurance of meaning. For such a personality, giving up the external symbols of success is too great a risk.

Alternatively most entrepreneurs I have known display very little concern for the external symbols of success. Jeff Bezos, founder of Amazon.com, is famous for still using a wooden door on saw-horses as his desk. Entrepreneurs are much more focused on the thrill of the creative process.

The risks of real creativity require a sense of self that will survive multiple failures large and small. The business leader who succeeds over the long-term – through good times and bad – is someone whose whole personality is ready to take the risk that is always part of creation. In religious language we might say, the righteous person is ready to take the risk that is always part of giving oneself over to God.