Integrity

I just ran across this quote that I thought was powerful:

From Anthony Bloom's Beginning to Pray:

"I remember a certain number of (my father's) phrases. In fact there are two things he said which impressed me and have stayed with me all my life. One is about life. I remember he said to me after a holiday, 'I worried about you' and I said, 'Did you think I'd had an accident?' He said, 'That would have meant nothing, even if you had been killed. I thought you had lost your integrity.'

Then on another occasion he said to me, 'Always remember that whether you are alive or dead matters nothing. What matters is what you live for and what you are prepared to die for.'

These things (says Bloom) were the background of my early education and show the sense of life that I got from him."

Breach

The movie “Breach” was well made and Chris Cooper put on one of his best performances ever. It is based on the true events of the greatest security breach in American history. Robert Hanssen had been selling vital U.S. secrets to the Soviets and other enemies for nearly 25 years, causing untold damage to our national security and the lives of agents and informants around the world. The story centers around Hanssen’s capture, aided significantly by rookie FBI agent Eric O’Niell. O’Niell has been assigned to Hanssen as an aide in order to spy on him and help catch his boss in the act of passing on secret documents. O’Niell is a rookie with very little field experience and he must outwit the smartest and trickiest spy in U.S. history. The movie was edited superbly in order to maintain the tension even when the ultimate outcome is known.

Several things struck me as I watched this movie. First, it revealed how the public image of a man can be totally opposite of his private image. Hanssen was so good at projecting a righteous, loving and patriotic image, that O’Niell initially was so fooled that he actually admired Hanssen. This is a reminder that all men are fallen and hide behind masks, including ourselves. Integrity is living in such a way so that your public image is the same as your private image. Beware of power, because it often tempts you present an image that is not your true self, especially when your power is threatened.

Second, others will exploit your weaknesses in order to control you. The movie didn’t spell this out, but it is likely that Hanssen was turned by the Soviets not only by money but also because they exploited his sexually deviant behavior. Hanssen videotaped his sexual encounters with his wife and sold them to an internet site without his wife’s knowledge. The Soviets most likely threatened Hanssen with exposure if he didn’t cooperate with him. Men will do almost anything in order to keep their secret lives hidden lest their careers, families and social status be destroyed.

Third, O’Neill realized the price he would have to pay in order to become a successful FBI agent and chose not to pay that price. He saw how his assignment to spy on Hanssen nearly destroyed his marriage and decided that becoming an FBI agent cost too much. He also saw how the price the other agents had to pay to become successful and he realized that he wasn’t willing to give up the things that mattered the most to him. So after being an integral part of capturing the biggest spy in U.S. history, he had the integrity to walk away from fame and success in order to build a strong marriage with the woman he loved.

Forth, the movie clearly portrayed the guilt and shame that Hanssen had to deal with because of the choices he had made. While in public Hanssen put on a religious front that had everyone convinced he was a sincere, devout Catholic. He went to church every morning to pray, attended mass every week, and studied Catholic doctrine. Yet in the end Hanssen is tormented by guilt at confession, revealing the true inner struggle he was going through. The last scene in the movie powerfully shows O’Niell just about to enter the elevator until he sees Hanssen in it with a guard on each side. Hanssen is clearly dejected and beaten, and the movie ends as the elevator doors close as Hanssen asks O’Niell, “Please pray for me.” This is a powerful reminder that we need to pray for each other and to build strong, transparent relationships in order to help people escape their prison of guilt and find freedom from sin before it is too late.

The Good Shepherd

Don't let the title fool you; it has nothing to do with Psalm 23 or John 10. The movie is about the beginning of the CIA and the leaks that plagued it, culminating in the Bay of Pigs fiasco. The story revolves around Edward Wilson's search for the source of the leak that resulted in one of the biggest failures of U.S. intelligence. I am not recommending you to see this movie by commenting on it (there are some intense scenes and sexual situations).

What intrigued me about this movie is its excellent portrayal of the twisted world of intelligence. The main characters struggle with loneliness and isolation because they cannot trust anyone. People are being turned by the enemy and even the most private areas of their lives are being used to manipulate and thwart them. Without trust, there can be no intimacy. This is the main theme of the movie and the script hammers it home effectively.

As a young boy, Edward's father tells him to never tell a lie, because if he does, then no one will ever trust him and he will lose all of his friends. As Edward leaves the room, his father commits suicide because he had been caught lying in his government position. Edward never forgot the moment when he found his father dead on the floor, and as a result, his final words haunt Edward the rest of his life.

Unfortunately, always telling the truth and being a spy don't go well together. Struggling to maintain his integrity in the midst of the twisted world of espionage becomes the main conflict in the movie. Edward's commitment to integrity impressed me and I truly felt his inner turmoil as he had to make one of the most difficult decisions: remain loyal to his country or to save his son. This movie pulls no punches, and the incredible price Edward has to pay to maintain his integrity is graphically portrayed.

The theme of the movie is very applicable to our daily lives, even though we are not spies. We also struggle with maintaining our integrity in a twisted world, whether at work or school or home. Often the price is just as high, and the temptation to lie and be disloyal is real and great. But God calls us to live lives of integrity in the midst of this wicked and crooked generation, so that we might be as stars in the night sky. Jesus never said it would be easy to follow him; in fact, he often warned his would-be followers of the price they would have to pay if they chose to follow him. The stakes are just as high today. Count the cost and determine to remain loyal before you are tempted to turn aside from the truth.

Much of the loneliness we face is the result of a lack of integrity. We cannot develop intimacy without trust. Unfortunately, many poeple today do not maintain their integrity, therefore they are not able to develop intimacy. Without integrity, we are like isolated islands in a vast ocean unable to make contact with each other on the deepest levels. So, listen to the advice of Edward's father and never tell a lie.