At The Core Of It All

Core: “the central, innermost, or most essential part of anything.” Everything has a core. A mountain, a tree, an apple, a political movement, families. You. Me. Health experts and high-powered salesmen keep telling us: “You need to keep your core in good condition,” because if you don’t, then all the rest of the structure, which is supposed to be supported by “the core,” will get wobbly. Santa Claus, whose belly shook like a bowl of jelly, is not a good role model.

And then there is the term “core values.” Trees and mountains don’t fit into this understanding of core, but people do, and cultures and nations. Core values don’t come with the birth certificate; they are not issued when you get to be a certain age. The physical core of the human body comes with the package, but ethical, moral and spiritual core values are learned by living, by making decisions, by succeeding joyfully and suffering greatly. Once defined, a person spends a lifetime keeping core values strong and life-influencing. Ignore or discard human core values at great risk. The result of such foolishness is seen in people and communities that are self-centered, addicted to personal power, willing to cause pain in order to personally prosper, ethically and morally bankrupt. In fact, those are expressions of a different set of core values.

To loosely paraphrase the biblical character Joshua, folks it’s deciding time! Let every woman and man make up their minds…daily, even hourly…which core values will direct life, which you will choose and celebrate. Joshua laid it all out for the people…options and opportunities. He told the assembled tribe: each of you has the choice to make: you can serve the gods of power and deception, “but as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.” “Serve” is the operative word. What’s the point of following Jesus if I don’t live like he lived?