Upright in conduct…when no one is looking
In 2006, Joya Williams was the executive assistant to Coca Cola’s global head of marketing. Because of her position, she had access to lots of secret information about Coke—new flavors they were coming out with, new packaging ideas, documents with Coca Cola recipe information in them, and so on. But Joya was unhappy with how […]
The yashar and tam of being upright
This week we are considering the Honor Code’s instruction to be “upright in conduct.” The idea of uprightness is frequently expressed in the Bible using two different Hebrew words: “Yashar,” which means straight, and “tam,” which means perfect or complete. In a sense, being upright in conduct is a matter of being on the straight […]
The clear conscience of an upright life
Have you ever gotten away with something bad and yet had a sense of dread or guilt that lingered? And don’t you find that the guilty conscience is often far greater a burden than any benefit we hoped to gain from our misdeeds? In our Honor Code, upright conduct follows honesty. And one of the […]
Genuine faith bears honest fruit
It is often hardest to be honest when it comes to our own weaknesses and failures—like confessing when we’ve done something bad, or to be honest that something is too difficult, and we need help. The Jewish folktale of The Honest Disciple is helpful: “Once a rabbi decided to test the honesty of his disciples, […]
Honesty means taking care to know the truth
Nathaniel Hawthorne wrote that “[a]ccuracy is the twin brother of honesty; inaccuracy, of dishonesty.” What did he mean? Well, when we think of being accurate, we may think of math class, and getting an accurate answer. Or we might think of weather forecasts, and whether the meteorologist predicted rain or sunshine accurately. But there’s a […]
Tell all the Truth but tell it slant
Ever notice when you ask your parents or your teachers certain questions—usually big or important or difficult ones—they’re a little careful about how they give you the answer? Or ever wonder why God gives us the ability to know about Him and the world, but still leaves an awful lot of mystery in it. Why […]
Honesty and Credibility
There are many reasons to be honest in all things, not least of all because it is right and good. But it is also practical. Some of you may recall from last year the story of the Boy Who Cried Wolf – it is worth repeating: There was once a young Shepherd Boy who tended […]
Honesty and Honor
Each morning we recite the Columbus Classical Academy Honor Code. It begins with honesty—“a Columbus Classical Academy student is honest in all things.” We put it first, in part because we agree with Thomas Jefferson, who said that “Honesty is the first chapter in the book of wisdom.” But what exactly does it mean to […]
For the Long Road Ahead, Perseverance
So, we’re here to learn virtue and acquire knowledge. But, as you might have guessed, it doesn’t happen overnight. The school year goes until the end of May, so you know it is going to take time and effort. It may seem a bit overwhelming at the start. That’s okay. Don’t think you have to […]
Why Knowledge Matters to Virtue
Well, you survived your first day – well done and welcome back! Yesterday, I told you that your purpose in coming to school is to learn virtue. But if that’s what this is about, why all the book learning? Why not just spend all day giving meals to the hungry and visiting the elderly? What […]
