“One does not simply break a pinky promise!” I recently came across a meme with this as the caption. I laughed as I remembered
childhood promises made on the playground and secured with the interlocking of pinky fingers.
But again, Jesus calls
us to go deeper than our “pinky promises”. To swear to do something is a way to secure another person's trust. We put some condition or cost on the breaking of the promise. It is a way to close the doors of the escape routes.
Implicit in swearing to do something is the notion that there may be some reason why we may not follow through on a promise. It makes commitment dependent on interests. I will keep my promise because of the personal cost of breaking it. This is the aspect of oaths that Jesus invites us to distance ourselves from.
Jesus says, “Let your yes mean yes and your no mean no.” He does not want us to place conditions and costs on our commitments. Instead, we should do what we are doing because of its value and
what it means for others. He wants our trustworthiness to come from our hearts rather than from what untrustworthiness may cost.
It is difficult to simply say yes or no sometimes. I often give excuses and reasons for what I want to do. My motivation for this is usually that I don’t want to look bad in other people's eyes. Jesus wants us, instead, to say what we mean and mean what we say. I recall his words in John’s Gospel that the truth will set us free. My motivation for my words and actions should be clear
communication and to do the will of God.
Today let us pray for the grace of a pure intention behind our words and actions. Let us
reflect on why we say and do what we do. Let us consider the basis of trust in our relationships and how we might better follow Jesus’ invitation to sincerity.
