At Least Have Some Dignity

I recently heard someone describe the activities they participated in while at Youth Group the previous night.  Their description consisted of helping the poor, planning a mission trip, and learning how to choose the paths that will take them to their ultimate destination.  I then noticed the "What Would Jesus Do?"  band on their wrist.  This is when I became extremely confused.   

You see, the previous day I had also overheard this person talk about how wasted they got on Friday and then describe in detail, with words I better not use in this essay, their activities on Saturday.  I was just thankful they couldn't remember enough to describe the last half of the night.

I see this person each day, duplicated many times around the school, and my judgment comes not from what they say they did at Youth Group, but what I know they did after. I personally don't understand their motivation to take the time to put on a bracelet that is in reality the antithesis of their natural self.  

They should at least be brave enough to stand up and say they believe there's nothing wrong with their actions.  There would be some dignity in this.  Or they should be courageous enough to back up their bracelet and be the person they claim to be.  People reserve the right to follow what they believe in, whether it is Jesus, Buddha, the individual, or nothing at all.  It is only when one claims to be a deified version of one's true self that really decreases one's value as a human being.  If one would only show who one is through actions, then all words would become nugatory.  I don't want to pretend that I am the perfect person, not even close.  But I do strive to back up my values on paper with my actions in the world. 

Even though I realize that I often mess up and make wrong choices, I continue strive to put my words into actions; and it is though these actions that I develop my character.  It's like a quote I heard long ago: Sew a thought, Reap and action. Sew an action, Reap a habit. Sew a habit, Reap a character. Sew a character, Reap a destiny.

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