An Honorable Name—That Indespensible Treasure

Luther begins his explanation of the Eighth Commandment— "You are not to bear false witness against your neighbor" —this way:

Besides our own body, our spouse, and our temporal property, we have one more treasure that is indispensable to us, namely, our honor and good reputation...God does not want our neighbors deprived of their reputation, honor, and character any more than of their money and possessions.

Large Catechism, Part 1, Marginal Number 255-6 in The Book of Concord: The Confessions of the Evangelical Lutheran Church. Edited by Robert Kolb and Timothy J. Wengert. Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 2000. p. 420.

The lead article on the election day online issue of the Minneapolis Star Tribune was entitled, "Early voters express relief that negative ads are over". Those interviewed called that cloud of 30-second locusts plaguing our elections season every kind of evil, "shallow", "negative", "disgusting", "low", but leave out the one, sinful. This sin is akin to murder; "everyone's stabbing one another in the back," one person commented.

The wages of this sin is death, death to candidates, death to voters, and death to democracy. Candidates kill off each other. Voters, sick from ingesting all the political pestulance, turn off the TV and the radio and refuse to listen to even informative pieces. Democracy dies, the invective insects devouring our confidence in government. Sticks and stones will break our bones but words will kill our soul.

What would happen if a political candidate, or any politician, stood up at a press conference and stuck to the positive side of the Eighth Commandment when speaking of his opponents, "com[ing] to their defence, speak[ing] well of the them, and interpret[ing] everything they do in the best possible light."? [Small Catechism, 1:16, in BC 353.] I honestly believe that the public would be so relieved to hear someone building up his neighbor they would support that candidate mightily after seeing such a demonstration of character.

A good word builds up well-being. "The tongue that brings healing is a tree of life, but a deceitful tongue crushes the spirit," [Proverbs 15:4]. Politicians ought to take to heart that their constituants want healing and life. A politician's purpose is to form a more perfect union of the people, to promote the welfare of the people, and ensure the domestic tranquility. The Eighth Commandment declares that words, as well as deeds and policies, either hinder or aid this endeavor. May all of our leaders keep watch over the door of their lips so they may not destroy but edify with their words.