Going Down Under, and finding the highest faith aspirations in a secular setting

Service. Courage. Respect. Excellence. Integrity.

I recently had a long visit with my family in Australia. At one point, my daughter, son-in-law and I visited a couple who are old friends. As I was talking to the husband, I noticed a brochure on the counter, with those words written on it. The wife is a minister, so I thought maybe she was creating spiritual advice for the team she works with.

But no, it is the husband’s project. He and a team of others collaborated on a project boiling down the Australian navy’s values into these five words, with elaboration. I was blown away, confessing to thinking of a navy as a fighting machine, not an organization expecting its members to inform every decision by consulting these core values.

Also, navies are secular organizations, by and large, so why was I, a minister, so taken with the brochure, with the work these people have done? Why write a faith column on it?

Well, when I saw those words, they resonated in my heart. They are secular in their current context, but they come from spiritual underpinnings. They come from a deep knowing of how we are at our best, how God – higher power, mystery, ideals of justice, spirit – can lead us into behaving according to these values. They are admirable in settings where religion is inappropriate, and they also embody the best of faiths.

Altogether, they are so hard as to seem impossible. But continual aspiration toward the good is part of being spiritual, of being religious. A solid life of faith leads us toward service, courage, respect, excellence and integrity.

Service. A selflessness of character that allows us to place other’s security and well-being ahead of our own. Think Jesus. Or your favorite social-action friend.

Courage. In the brochure’s words, “The strength of character to say and do the right thing, always, especially in the face of adversity.” Think Joan of Arc. Think the refugees who fill the world.

Respect. “The humanity of character (I love that phrase) to value others and treat them with dignity.” Think Martin Luther King Jr, Pema Chodron, Jimmy Carter.

Excellence. Willingness of character to strive each day to the very best we can. I think of something as simple as mail delivery. My carrier clearly strives for excellence, on a street with construction, cable installation and road work, all in front of mailboxes.

Integrity. Wholeness, consistency of character in aligning our thoughts, words and actions toward doing what is right. Think the Dalai Lama. Think of the very best pastor, elder, parent, bishop or colleague you know.

These are high goals, and I’m not close to embodying very many of them. But we can pay attention to them and do our best to live into them. If we are faithful in our attention and practice, perhaps we can refrain from some of the meanness we are drawn to, and we can take a deep breath and bring these values into our hearts.

Perhaps we can, when feeling very ordinary and not so generous, pop these values into our being, where we can change and become better.

Who knows, maybe we might inspire others! We know for sure that this hurting world will be a better place if we do.

May it be so!