Developing a Moral Compass for Christian Leaders

A moral compass refers to the attributes that individuals and groups use to guide their lives with a sense of purpose and direction.[footnoteRef:2] Although different faiths subscribe to various types of “moral compass points,” the moral compass advocated by the United Methodist Church provides a useful example that can be used to gain a better understanding concerning its purpose and tenets as well as how these can help improve people’s lives. To this end, this paper reviews the relevant literature to provide a discussion concerning the moral compass espoused by the leaders of the United Methodist Church to identify potential opportunities for improvement and which sources can facilitate this outcome. A description of a compass chart and its four constituent categories (i.e., walking with God, a well-lived life, a good community and just society) is followed by a discussion concerning how the chart could be refined. In addition, an assessment concerning how a moral compass can be improved by drawing on the insights provided by Aristotle, Bennis-Goldsmith, Lebacqz, Erikson, Press and others contribute to the conversation about moral agency, leadership and moral reorientation is followed by an analysis concerning the role played by moral leaders in this enterprise. Finally, a summary of the research and important findings concerning the United Methodist Church’s current moral compass and how it can be improved are presented in the conclusion. [2: Helen Altman Klein. “A Moral Compass. (for Parents Particularly),” Childhood Education, 78, no. 4 (Summer 2002): 236.]
Refinement of the moral compass
The moral compass followed by the United Methodist Church is comprised of the four constituent components depicted in Figure 1 below.
Figure 1. Moral compass graphic conceptualization
The four “moral compass points depicted in Figure 1 above are discussed in turn in the sections following below.
Walking with God: The adage that “angels whisper to humans when they walk in the woods” is reflective of this moral compass component. Indeed, the importance of walking with God has been an early and central theme in the Holy Bible. For instance, Sorge reports that, “From the very beginning, God had a relationship with Adam and Eve that found them "walking in the garden in the cool of the day" (Genesis 3:8). God created man for the enjoyment of a walking relationship that involved companionship, dialogue, intimacy, joint decision-making, mutual delight, and shared dominion. God longs to walk with you, which is why his arms of grace have been pulling you into a closer walk with him.”[footnoteRef:3] The list of biblical patriarchs who walked with God begins with Enoch. According to Sorge, “After he begot Methuselah, Enoch walked with God three hundred years, and had sons and daughters. So all the days of Enoch were three hundred and sixty-five years. And Enoch walked with God; and he was not, for God took him (Genesis 5:22–24).”[footnoteRef:4] [3: Bob Sorge, (2016, May 5). “The Secret of Walking with God.” Christian Bible Studies. [online] available: http://www.christianitytoday.com/biblestudies/articles/theology/secret-of-walking-with-god.html.] [4: Sorge, “The Secret of Walking with God.” ]
Other biblical figures who walked with God included Abraham (“And he said unto me, The Lord, before whom I walk, will send his angel with thee, and prosper thy way; and thou shalt take a wife for my son of my kindred, and of my father's house” – Genesis 24:40 KVJ) and Noah (“These are the generations of Noah: Noah was a just man and perfect in his generations, and Noah walked with God” – Genesis 6-9 KVJ). It is important to point out, however, that achieving the penultimate and final components of the moral compass, a good community and a just society, requires performing this component. As Sorge concludes, “God wants to walk with us before he works through us. So he will wait to act until he finds the right man or woman through whom he can work. To put it bluntly, God works with his friends. When God has a friend, divine activity accelerates. When God has a useful vessel that has been prepared for noble purposes, he will use that vessel.”[footnoteRef:5] [5: Sorge, “The Secret of Walking with God.” ]
In this context, it is also important to note that “walking with God” does not necessarily mean actually talking a physical stroll in the garden or a hike in the woods in an effort to communicate with the Creator in order to satisfy this moral compass component, and it can perhaps be used more metaphorically and better understood as referring to spiritually communing with God in other ways that contribute to a well-lived life, a good community and a justice society as discussed further below.
A well-lived life: Although this moral compass component is also a priority in other religions, the United Methodist Church has made it clear that, “There is no greater witness for the Kingdom of God than a life well-lived.”[footnoteRef:6] It is important to note, though, that a well-lived life does not necessarily mean an extraordinary life (and they frequently are not) but rather refers to a life that is devoted to trusting and following God’s loving guidance, which are also fundamental to the first moral compass constituent component, walking with God. In this regard, Pegram adds that, “The life that is well-lived, the life that is an incredible asset to the Kingdom of God, making an eternal difference is not usually extraordinary! It is an ordinary life committed to walk with God, to trust God, and to live in God’s ways.”[footnoteRef:7] [6: Ronn A. Pegram, (2012, September 16). “A life well lived.” Dodgeville United Methodist Church. [online] available: http://www.dodgevilleumc.org/2012/a-life-well-lived/.] [7: Pegram, “A life well lived.”]
A good community: This moral compass component also dates to antiquity and has long been regarded as being an important outcome of walking with God and a well-lived life. In this regard, Trefts note that, “I would like people to consider how they can play a role in their local communities at beginning and sustaining the ancient questions that go back to Socrates and the Bible.”[footnoteRef:8] As Socrates rationalized early on, “Wouldn't we say that morality can be a property of whole communities as well as of individuals?”[footnoteRef:9] The moral compass that promotes a good community, however, can be highly subjective and varied depending on prevailing definitions of what constitutes a good community depending on time and place as the ancient examples of Sodom and Gomorrah made clear. [8: Deborah Trefts, (2017, June 27). “Rev. Robert M. Franklin Jr. to discuss expanded religious presence at Chautauqua.” The Chautauquan Daily. [online] available: http://chqdaily.com/2017/06/rev-robert-m-franklin-jr-to-discuss-expanded-religious-presence-at-chautauqua/.] [9: Louis P. Pojman. Classics of Philosophy (New York: Oxford University Press, 2003), 123.]
Just society: Some authorities adopt a strictly pragmatic view of a just society that is based on the manner in which basic liberties are guaranteed and protected as well as providing equitable access to available resources is a just society. For example, Petts argues that, “Any society that provides well for freedom will count as just. If the society entrenches each [freedom] against the danger of interference from others in the domain of the basic liberties, then it will count plausibly as a just society.”[footnoteRef:10] This pragmatic perspective is also even highly congruent with the United Methodist Church’s moral view that charitable acts must likewise be applied equitably. As Bauer points out, “The goal of creating a just society that keeps inequality in check, is still applicable even if the laws are not. Charity can be governed by the whim or favoritism but we are taught that such action is unacceptable. The obligation is to create a just society and not to rule over the poor with acts of charity.”[footnoteRef:11] [10: Philip Pettit. Just Freedom: A Moral Compass for a Complex World (New York: W. W. Norton & Company, 2014), 37.] [11: Renee Bauer, (2015, September 7). “Biblical Call to Address inequality.” Sherman Avenue Methodist Church. [online] available: http://workerjustice.org/interfaith-resources/sermons/biblical-call-to-address-wealth-inequality/]
This assertion suggests that because resources are by definition scarce and represent a zero-sum game (e.g., if some poor people are fed and housed, there will be fewer of these resources available for other poor people), creating and sustaining a truly just society requires first walking with God and living life well in order to develop a good community that places a high priority on these issues. As Calhoun emphasizes, “any real society is a caregiving and care-receiving society, and must therefore discover ways of coping with these facts of human neediness and dependency that are compatible with the self-respect of the recipients and do not exploit the caregivers.”[footnoteRef:12] [12: Calhoun Chesire. Setting the Moral Compass: Essays by Women Philosophers (New York: Oxford University Press, 2004), 74.]
Taken together, the four constituent components of a moral compass provide a viable framework in which individuals of all faiths can make the world a better place during their lives and thereafter but as with anything, a moral compass can be improved and these issues are discussed further below.
Assessment concerning how a moral compass can be improved
Although it would be highly disingenuous to suggest that the basic four constituent components of the moral compass are inappropriate, it would be possible to improve them by providing real-world examples concerning their importance and application as well as how individuals can better follow them. Likewise, the concept of “walking with God” may be alien and even offensive to people who have never been able to walk or who have lost the ability due to disease, injury of infirmities so the metaphorical aspects of this moral compass component should be made clear. In addition, there are a number of other “compass points” that could be included such as the following:
· “Follow the Golden Rule” (“Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you: do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets.” – Matthew 7:12 KJV); and,
· “God-based loving and nurturing parenting” (“And, fathers, do not provoke your children to anger; but bring them up [nourish them] in the discipline [training, nurture] and instruction of the Lord.” – Ephesians 6:4).
What role do moral leaders play in this enterprise?
Although recalibrating a magnetic compass is a straightforward matter, the same cannot be said of recalibrating moral compasses. There are a number of sources that are available, however, that can assist moral leaders to recalibrating a moral compass, including the works by ancient and modern theorists and theologians concerning moral agency, leadership and moral reorientation. The concept of moral agency refers to the ability of individuals to “discern right from wrong and to be held accountable for his or her own actions. Moral agents have a moral responsibility not to cause unjustified harm.”[footnoteRef:13] Moral agency is generally applied only to individuals who possess the requisite capacities to recognize right from wrong. Based on this concept of moral agency and because a just society holds people accountable for the actions, children and adults who are mentally disabled are typically legally excluded for the assignment of moral agency. [13: “Moral agent.” (2017). McCombs. School of Business. [online] available: http://ethicsunwrapped.utexas.edu/glossary/moral-agent]
In order to lead morally, Bennis and Goldsmith emphasize the need for individuals to perform an honest assessment of their strengths and weaknesses. The process, though, is not an easy one but rather involves soliciting and accepting feedback from others (e.g., “if enough people call you a horse, you’d better buy a saddle”) and remaining vigilant concerning new opportunities to refine this assessment. Moreover, most people are highly reluctant to accept even honest constructive criticism because it threatens their longstanding perceptions of themselves as rationale, capable and dedicated individuals.
Nevertheless and despite the challenges that are involved in this enterprise, the process serves to enhance moral leadership in vital ways. In sum, by better understanding their strengths and weaknesses, moral leaders can contribute more effectively where their actions can have the most impact. As Bennis and Goldsmith point out, “It is an intense journey to achieve a positive sense of ourselves and know our abilities and our limitations. We get there by understanding what it takes for us to learn about ourselves, by being able to solicit and integrate feedback from others, by continually keeping ourselves open to new experiences and information, and by having the ability to hear our own voice and see our own actions.”[footnoteRef:14] [14: Warren Bennis and Joan Goldsmith. Learning to Lead: A Workbook on Becoming a Leader (Cambridge, MA: Perseus Books, 1997), 69.]

According to Aristotle, people who act in immoral ways are simply demonstrating a form of ignorance of what is good based on the same types of goals that are shared by all humans. This observation indicates that moral leaders can help individuals who engage in immoral behaviors by counseling them concerning how their unique goals can be achieved otherwise and in a moral fashion. For example, Boylan reports that Aristotle argued that, “When one [engages] in unethical conduct, one is exhibiting a form of ignorance.”[footnoteRef:15] [15: Michael Boylan. A Just Society (Boston: Rowman & Littlefield, 2004), 37.]

The foregoing argument suggests that as people grow and learn about what is good, their goals can be achieved in moral ways, a view that is consistent with human developmental theorists such as Erikson. For example, Bustow notes that, “Erikson, treats ethics and religion [as] patterns of personal and social responsibility” (emphasis added).[footnoteRef:16] From Erikson’s perspective, the development of religious identify typically begins during stage 5, peer relationships (12 to 18 years of age), of young people’s lives.[footnoteRef:17] This means that moral leadership becomes especially important during this phase of life on order to help young people develop a healthy and appropriate religious identity and stay on a sound moral compass heading. [16: Harold A. Buetow. Religion in Personal Development: An Analysis and a Prescription (New York: Peter Lang, 1991), 351.] [17: Buetow, Religion in Personal Development, 351.]

Other authorities maintain that longstanding precepts concerning how best to develop and sustain a just society must be replaced with more compassionate views about the plight of the economically and socially oppressed – even when the law does not demand it. In other words, serving as a moral leader requires not only recognizing the numerous serious problems that constantly face a community and society, they must also possess the compassion that is required to develop a better understanding of these problems in real-world settings rather than abstract statistical analyses. Indeed, in his discussions about developing a just society, Franklin (1990) emphasizes that, “No theory of American public life can be adequate without sustained attention to the present implications of the enslavement of Africans or the systematic exclusion of women.”[footnoteRef:18] In fact, race relations seemed to have reached a new low point in the United States in recent years and the glass ceiling has been cracked but not broken. [18: Robert Michael Franklin. Liberating Visions: Human Fulfillment and Social Justice in African-American Thought (Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 1990), 68.]

While the argument can easily be made that the existing methods of ensuring a just society of Western nations such as the United States, for example, that rely on census data and unemployment statistics are essential and even constitutionally required elements in the process, it is also important for moral leaders to actually have to courage to “take the lead” by expanding on these analyses in informed ways that also contribute to a just society.[footnoteRef:19] Citing several examples of especially courageous moral leadership in recent years, Press (2013) makes the point that many people are compelled to take the low road when confronted with moral dilemmas, most especially when their own self interests are at stake. In this regard, Lapointe (2016) advises that, “Press combines narrative journalism with a wide range of psychological and philosophical literature to explore ‘the mystery of what impels people to do something risky and transgressive when thrust in a morally compromising situation” and recommends that they “stop, say no and resist.”[footnoteRef:20] [19: Eval Press. Beautiful Souls: The Courage and Conscience of Ordinary People in Extraordinary Times (New York: Picador, 2013), 10.] [20: Michael Lapointe, “Unlikely Heroes,” Anglican Journal, 142, no. 10 (December 2016): 15.]

For instance, Lebacqz argues that, “If there is to be an approach to justice that takes injustice seriously, then, it will require new forms of logic. It will require a logic that hears the tears in the slums and does not overrule them simply because they are passionate.”[footnoteRef:21] This assertion suggests that by pointing their moral compass in this direction, moral leaders will be in a better position to identify injustices in ways that significantly contribute to developing and sustaining a just society. Indeed, Labacqz provides an overview of philosophical and theological ethics from three different perspectives for each to argue that effective and timely responses to injustices in society demand the ability to draw on a wide range of resources in order for leaders to formulate a personal moral compass.[footnoteRef:22] [21: Karen Lebacqz. Justice in an Unjust World: Foundations for a Christian Approach to Justice (Minneapolis: Augsburg Pub. House, 1987), 56.] [22: Karen Lebacqz. Six Theories of Justice: Perspectives from Philosophical and Theological Ethics (Minneapolis: Augsburg Publishing House, 1987), 3.]

Certainly, this level of moral reorientation does not take place immediately, overnight or even days or months but frequently involved years and even a lifetime of personal introspection and reflection, a process that can be painful, especially if substantive changes are needed. It is also important to note that virtually any just society will also suffer from some types and levels of injustices, including especially countries with enormous population of diverse people whose interests and goals are profoundly different. Likewise, developing and sustaining a just society is not a status enterprise, but rather requires ongoing oversight to identify injustices that require remedying. In this regard, Lebacqz stresses that:
Justice is a renovation, a new beginning, but not a complete undoing of injustice. It is never perfect, because it is always framed by past and present injustices. But it represents the possibility of new beginnings in a better order that does not necessarily result from an extension of present injustices. Injustice reigns. But it does not have to. Justice, properly understood with all its limitations, is a possibility. The vision of a just society is an impossible one, which can be approximated only by those who do not regard it as impossible.[footnoteRef:23] [23: Lebacqz, Justice in an Unjust World, 144.]

This is an interesting and timely observation because it serves to underscore the harsh realities of human civilization, including relentless competition for scarce resources and individual self interests above the community. This observation also makes it clear that moral leaders can play an important role in achieving the impossible vision of a truly just society despite the numerous challenges involved if they apply the “new forms of logics” advocated by Lebacqz above.
Assuming that leaders develop and follow a sound moral compass that is aligned with the teachings of the United Methodist Church, a final important consideration that is involved in moral reorientation to achieve the desired outcomes of a moral compass is to formulate a vision concerning which compass points should be followed. As Orchard cautions, “While both the concept of a moral compass and the definition of morality are simple and clear, the concept of what constitutes morality is not. One person’s moral compass may not point in the same direction as another’s, as far as right and wrong conduct and belief are concerned.”[footnoteRef:24] Traditionally, the north compass point has been conceptualized as “the right direction,” and this view has been applied to moral compasses as well. [24: Orchard, Brian (2007, August 17). “The Moral Compass.” Vision.org. {online] available: http://www.vision.org/visionmedia/ethics-and-morality-moral-compass/3574.aspx.]

The numerous high-profile examples of major political leaders and celebrities has caused some observers to argue that the moral compass has “turned south,” implying that society is headed in the wrong direction.[footnoteRef:25] Indeed, the list of national politicians, movie stars and sports figures grows every day, and the headlines are splashed with new reports of groping, inappropriate sexual advances and worse, so these assertions concerning the wrong “moral compass heading” of society appear directly on-point [25: Orchard, “The Moral Compass.” ]

Other authorities, however, counter that these same types of human behaviors have always existed and they are not more common today, only better publicized due to innovations in telecommunications technologies, most especially the Internet. Irrespectively, the important point that emerges from this analysis is the overarching need to ensure that everyone’s moral compass is pointed in the same direction based on a shared understanding of what these compass points actually mean.[footnoteRef:26] In this regard, Orchard concludes that, “Because of man’s propensity to always treat the effects instead of addressing the cause, the solution to wavering moral compasses will continue to prove elusive. Until society recognizes the need for a single absolute authority to establish the difference between right and wrong, no solution will ever be possible.”[footnoteRef:27] [26: Orchard, “The Moral Compass.” ] [27: Orchard, “The Moral Compass.” ]

Conclusion
Everyone has a moral compass whether they realize it or not that they use to navigate the exigencies of the human conditions and to satisfy their self interest. Whether their moral compass is pointed in the right direction depends on a number of factors, but the research was consistent in showing that people generally behave immorally as a form of ignorance that precludes them from perceiving and understanding the ineffectiveness of their moral compass in attaining their unique personal goals in a moral fashion. The four moral compass constituent components of walking with God, a well-lived life, a good community and just society represent a valuable starting point for moral leaders. The moral compass points are not mutually exclusive, however, and each point is a step in a lifelong journey that properly and consistently applied, culminates with a just society. This type of moral leadership responsibility, of course, is not the sole domain of the United Methodist Church, but its moral compass reflects the teachings of many other faiths as well as Christian dogma. Therefore, regardless of the faith involved, it is reasonable to conclude that walking with God and a well-lived life can contribute to building good communities and a just society.


References
Bauer, Renee (2015, September 7). “Biblical Call to Address inequality.” Sherman Avenue Methodist Church. [online] available: http://workerjustice.org/interfaith-resources/sermons/biblical-call-to-address-wealth-inequality/.
Bennis, Warren and Goldsmith, Joan. Learning to Lead: A Workbook on Becoming a Leader. Cambridge, MA: Perseus Books, 1997.
Buetow. Harold A. Religion in Personal Development: An Analysis and a Prescription. New York: Peter Lang, 1991.
Boylan, Michael A Just Society. Boston: Rowman & Littlefield, 2004.
Chesire, Calhoun. Setting the Moral Compass: Essays by Women Philosophers. New York: Oxford University Press, 2004.
Franklin, Robert Michael. Liberating Visions: Human Fulfillment and Social Justice in African-American Thought. Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 1990.
Klein, Helen Altman. “A Moral Compass. (for Parents Particularly),” Childhood Education, 78, no. 4 (Summer 2002): 236-240.
Lapointe, Michael, “Unlikely Heroes,” Anglican Journal, 142, no. 10 (December 2016): 15-21.
Orchard, Brian (2007, August 17). “The Moral Compass.” Vision.org. {online] available: http://www.vision.org/visionmedia/ethics-and-morality-moral-compass/3574.aspx.
Lebacqz, Karen. Justice in an Unjust World: Foundations for a Christian Approach to Justice. Minneapolis: Augsburg Publishing House, 1987.
Lebacqz, Karen. Six Theories of Justice: Perspectives from Philosophical and Theological Ethics. Minneapolis: Augsburg Publishing House, 1987.
Pegram, Ronn A. (2012, September 16). “A life well lived.” Dodgeville United Methodist Church. [online] available: http://www.dodgevilleumc.org/2012/a-life-well-lived/.
Pettit, Philip. Just Freedom: A Moral Compass for a Complex World . New York: W. W. Norton & Company, 2014.
Pojman. Louis P. Classics of Philosophy. New York: Oxford University Press, 2003.
Press, Eval. Beautiful Souls: The Courage and Conscience of Ordinary People in Extraordinary Times. New York: Picador, 2013.
Sorge, Bob (2016, May 5). “The Secret of Walking with God.” Christian Bible Studies. [online] available: http://www.christianitytoday.com/biblestudies/articles/theology/secret-of-walking-with-god.html.
Trefts, Deborah. (2017, June 27). “Rev. Robert M. Franklin Jr. to discuss expanded religious presence at Chautauqua.” The Chautauquan Daily. [online] available: http://chqdaily.com/2017/06/rev-robert-m-franklin-jr-to-discuss-expanded-religious-presence-at-chautauqua/.