Editorial #335 Without Wax
There are many words used to compliment a person. Humble, honest, fair, sincere and caring are traits that are admired and appreciated. All these adjectives are in the back of our mind when interacting with others throughout our lives.
I recently attended the funeral of former Nebraska State Senator Cap Dierks. He embodied all these virtues. The homily at his funeral Mass used all these adjectives to describe him. These praises can only be awarded by another. No one can proclaim themselves to be humble, honest, fair, sincere or to have integrity. These terms are earned, not declared.
Latin is the foundation language for most western languages. Words of simple things are combined to make most of the words we use today.
The word sincere is Latin meaning “without wax”. “Sine” is Latin meaning ‘without’ and “Cera” is Latin for ‘wax’. In Roman times this “sine-cera” was used to describe a grade of marble or the quality of honey. If the marble had a crack, the value was greatly decreased and would not be used in statues or foundations. If honey was not fully distilled, removing all the wax, it compromised the flavor and quality. Wax was used to hide the crack, dishonestly increasing its value. A quality jar of honey or a solid block of marble was called “sinecera”.
The words ‘fair’, ‘honest’ and ‘sincere’ are considered when we make individual decisions based upon our personal values. In our mind we subconsciously have a ‘Blind Lady Justice’ holding the scale, weighing the cause and effect of our decisions. The decision process weighs the morality of the outcome upon the scale of justice and integrity.
People who have the courage to display these virtues are often impugned, ridiculed and criticized causing them to leave God out of their decision making process. This becomes a culture of pride, dishonesty, hypocrisy, envy, greed, vengeance, persecution, division and ultimately humans killing humans.
“Profiles in Courage” is becoming ever more difficult with the ‘cancel culture’ capable of ruining one’s life with lies. These lies are impossible to completely refute and erase out of the public arena when the mob rule of democracy is weaponized by technology and the media.
Right will prevail, eventually, as “Nothing can be hidden from eventual truth and knowledge.” We must personify our own “Profiles in Courage” by living our core values and vetting our political candidates by passing them through the same ‘core values’ filter.
Rotary International is the world’s greatest service club because it has lives by the “Four Way Test”: “Is it the truth? Is it fair to all concerned? Will it build good will and better friendships? Is it beneficial to all concerned?”
If everyone in the world lived by these words, the world would live “without wax” and it would be a much better place.
This is Keith Kube wishing you the best in making the world a better place.
Keith has a regular commentary on WJAG 780 radio at 7:40 on Tuesday and Thursday mornings. Check his website www.keithkube.com for past editorials.
