Righteousness is not self-righteousness

Matthew 5:20-26. Righteousness that surpasses Pharisees and scribes

The Pharisees have become experts of self-righteousness, complying with the letter of the commandments for the sake of spectacle. The challenge is to go beyond or even avoid spectacle for appearance’s sake, for what matters is what a person or organization does outside the public eye.

The paradox is that being right is not about boosting one’s ego. Authentic righteousness is not self-righteousness. Being right is about humbling our ego so as to not feel entitlement towards a reward. Anonymous charity, I think, is a pure form of authentic love and righteousness, because it is a kind of charity that does not seek recognition as the hypocrites do when they fast.

The challenge is that in business and politics, this goes against the norm of public relations and political campaigning. But I’d like to believe that people can possess a discerning eye — detecting bullshit from the authentic through dialogic reflection.

[DAILY GOSPEL INSIGHTS AND REFLECTION FOR MANAGEMENT AND ORGANIZATION 70: MARCH 11, 2022]

If we know that we cannot fully know, should we stop from attempting to know?

Luke 11:29-32.

“There is something greater than Solomon here.”

This verse resonated with me as an educator and researcher. Solomon represents the one who is blessed with the highest form of human wisdom. Jesus claims that there is something or someone greater than Solomon; wiser than the wisest.

Even the wisest man is not immune to sin, and there is Someone who is wiser even than the wisest of men. Our understanding will always be imperfect and limited. It’s easy to ask: what’s the point?

What’s the point of taking courses?

What’s the point of writing research?

What’s the point of quenching our curiosity when this thirst can never be fully satisfied?

I find solace in the difference between “perfectionism” and “excellencism”. The former talks about being flawless, but the latter acknowledges weakness but still being a better version of ourselves despite our weaknesses.

Maybe we can learn from Olympians on what virtues and flourishing means. World records can be broken and it also involves a lot of luck. But isn’t that more motivating? Those who come before us can build foundations; on their shoulders, we can stand. Humanity’s progress is built on the insights of those who came before.

There’s something romantic in creating a virtuous cycle, an infinite flourishing. “Human perfection” (if it exists) is boring; human excellence and virtue is more captivating.

If we know that we cannot fully know, should we stop from attempting to know? My answer is a resounding no!

[DAILY GOSPEL INSIGHTS AND REFLECTION FOR MANAGEMENT AND ORGANIZATION 68: MARCH 9, 2022]

20-mile march, consistency, and virtue

Matthew 25:31-46. Whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me

Jim Collins, in Great by Choice (as a follow up to Built to Last and Good to Great) contended that great organizations are those that consistently perform a 20-mile march, whether the conditions of the field are favorable or not.

The call to virtue means a call for consistency regardless the situation and suffering; whether friend or foe. Suffering and temptations are tests. We pray in the Lord’s Prayer that we may be brought away from tests, but such is the condition of our lives. We don’t and shouldn’t seek temptations, but they will come.

Resilience is a popular buzzword during the pandemic, but what does it really mean? Taleb also talked about antifragility, or entities that thrive in conditions of extreme volatility. How can we be resilient and antifragile?

I find insights in this gospel: a sober awareness of our controllables and adapting our activities without losing our authenticity. We are meant to be good but we have different ways of being good. We are all meant to help the least of our fellow, but we have different ways of helping.

A useful maxim is: Hope for the best, expect the worst. Prepare for both graces and curses. The prayer for serenity, courage, and wisdom and insight guides us towards being the best version of ourselves.

[DAILY GOSPEL INSIGHTS AND REFLECTION FOR MANAGEMENT AND ORGANIZATION 66: MARCH 7, 2022]

(Errata: I used the March 5 gospel for my reflections yesterday. I will use the March 4 gospel for my reflections today).

The fasting of the body should be about the nourishment of the spirit

Matthew 9:14-15. Can the wedding guests mourn?

If we approach fasting only as a ritual or as an appearance of being devoted to religion, are we really nourishing our spirit?

If we only appear to do hard work to impress our bosses, are we really letting our work become a form of vocation that nourishes our spirit?

If we choose to punish ourselves because of a misguided notion that “Hey God, I’m deliberately punishing myself now, better reward me later!” — are we really nourishing our spirit?

If to grow in spirit means to grow in love and goodness, then perhaps the call to fast is a call to deprive one’s self of earthly pleasures; then, the pleasure we deprive for ourselves could be given to those who need more than us. Fasting is a reminder of our privilege; of what we can live with and what we can live without.

We can live with one less meal a day… so what if the meal we deprive ourselves of can be given to those who have no meal to eat?

[DAILY GOSPEL INSIGHTS AND REFLECTION FOR MANAGEMENT AND ORGANIZATION 64: MARCH 5, 2022]

We must learn to pay our dues before we can be the best version of ourselves

Luke 9:22-25. What profit is there for one to gain the whole world yet lose or forfeit himself?

“… he must deny himself and take up his cross daily…”

The season of lent is a reminder that suffering and sacrifice are mainstays in life. If God Himself underwent suffering and death, why should we humans be exempt or pray otherwise?

Instead of praying that we avoid suffering, isn’t it better to pray for grace to withstand suffering? We all have crosses to bear, and maybe it is better to pray for strength or to ask for our own Simon of Cyrene in helping us bear our crosses.

This season is also a reminder that we are not meant to live our lives based on instinct or the desires of the flesh alone. We have to honor our gifts of insight and discernment. We have to master ourselves instead of being slaves to our hunger and thirst.

It seems simple, but actually, it feels deeply profound to undertake a virtuous journey, a journey of authenticity, a quest to be the best version of ourselves. Our talents and tendencies differ, and therefore, we have different crosses to bear.

We must learn to pay our dues before we can be the best version of ourselves.

[DAILY GOSPEL INSIGHTS AND REFLECTION FOR MANAGEMENT AND ORGANIZATION 62: MARCH 3, 2022]