What’s All Around You?

A great majority of you will have gone to movie theatres where, at the beginning of the movie, there's a promo for the theatre's sound system. The sound system announces, "It's all around you," with the sound coming from all sides of the theatre. It's called surround sound. 

This reminds me of the situation Nehemiah faced when he went to Jerusalem. Jerusalem was under constant attack because the walls of the city were broken down. Therefore, the city was broken down too. The clutter of debris from the destruction was screaming “all around you.” But before Nehemiah could rebuild the city, he needed to clear the clutter caused by the destruction. The same is true for us today, in our personal lives, and in our culture and nation.   

So, what is the clutter in your life, organization, nation, and culture that is “all around us” that needs to be cleared away before we rebuild the walls of our life, organization, nation, or culture? 

I believe it’s corruption. We are having a global eruption of corruption in us, in organizations, nations, and cultural values. And, in the United States, corruption is increasing at an alarming rate. Its consequences are devastating to a nation or culture. The problem of corruption had become so widespread a decade later that people began to expect it as a normal part of life. Spiritual darkness corrupts entire systems.

Common metaphors for corruption include diseases such as cancer and viruses, natural processes such as rot and erosion, and invasive parasites. These comparisons describe how systemic dishonesty enters a healthy system, hidden from view, and multiplies until it breaks down the entire structure.

What is corruption? Here are a few definitions from articles online. 

“Corruption is the misuse of public or private power for personal gain. It harms society by wasting public funds, slowing economic growth, increasing poverty, and destroying public trust in leaders and the law.” 

“Corruption is any dishonest or fraudulent behavior wherein someone uses their position of power to benefit themselves at the expense of others.” 

“A fancy or more formal word for corrupt is venal (meaning open to bribery or motivated by financial gain) or vitiated (meaning spoiled, impaired, or having lost its moral integrity).” 

“Another word for a corrupt person is a venal person, or someone described as a rogue, scoundrel, or miscreant.” 

Where does corruption come from? Author Greg Greenfield offers some insightful thoughts on corruption in his article, "Yes - Jesus Promised that Corrupt Political Leaders Would See Justice."

“Unfortunately, it’s a word that few like – sin. Sin can be defined as the abuse of power, given in trust, for selfish gain. This breaks God’s best for us. Why this definition? Many are available. However, this goes to the heart of the matter: it is a question of power and abused trust.  

We see this first in the Garden of Eden, where God entrusted the two trees to Adam and Eve, placing them within their reach so that, presumably, he could give them both knowledge and eternal life in his timing. This was a test they failed. They took it for themselves, in disobedience to God, for their own selfish gain, regardless of the consequences. On this understanding, the definition of sin is closely connected to Transparency International's definition of corruption: "the abuse of entrusted power for private gain."

Wow! One thing is for sure: corruption reflects a dark side in every person when temptations facilitate it. It should reveal to us that we need a Savior. We also need to heed and apply that Savior's words. Why? Something is wrong inside of us; our moral compass is broken. Pope Francis said, “Corrupt people become blind to God, replacing God with their own powers and abilities. Corrupt people don’t feel they have sinned. They have prevailed.”

Pope Francis goes on to say, “As God disappears from a culture, corruption appears. In nations that have not been exposed to the Gospel, corruption is rampant. Corruption flourishes in a godless culture.” The problem is that if that person holds a high position or office, the king's character permeates the kingdom. Corruption influences others to be corrupt. 

Here are some common types of corruption. Bribery: Giving or taking money, gifts, or favors to influence an official decision. Embezzlement: Stealing or misusing public or company funds by a person trusted to manage them. Nepotism: Giving jobs or promotions to family members or friends instead of qualified people. Extortion: Demanding money or favors by using threats or abuse of power. Misreporting or misrepresenting: Sacrificing truth or true results for a political or personal preference to influence or misdirect others.

What allows corruption in a nation or culture? The six main causes of corruption are: weak legal and institutional frameworks; lack of transparency and accountability (corruption flourishes in a culture without consequences); excessive bureaucratic discretion and red tape; low public-sector wages; cultural or social norms that tolerate patronage and nepotism; and ignorance of the law.

Let me close with what Transparency International, the global alliance against corruption, says about corruption. 

“Corruption can happen anywhere: in business, government, the courts, the media, and in civil society, as well as across all sectors from health and education to infrastructure and sports. Corruption can involve anyone: politicians, government officials, public servants, businesspeople, or members of the public.

"Corruption happens in the shadows, often with the help of professional enablers such as bankers, lawyers, accountants, and real estate agents, opaque financial systems and anonymous shell companies that allow corruption schemes to flourish and the corrupt to launder and hide their illicit wealth. Corruption adapts to different contexts and changing circumstances. It can evolve in response to changes in rules, legislation, and even technology.” 

In the next few weeks, let's get illumination about corruption: What it is, what it does, and what we can do about it. After all, it affects us, and its effects can infect us. It’s all around you.