Right Versus Easy

“We must all face the choice between what is right and what is easy.”

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (Movie Adaption) – Dumbledore

                One of the great misconceptions of our time is that we attribute morality to religion and neglect to review secular morality.  While a wealth of moral philosophy and teaching is found in the Bible, the Koran, the Torah, and other religious texts, we also pass down morality through old episodes of Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood, Dr. Seuss books, numerous comic books, and, yes, even the Harry Potter franchise.  Today I wanted to focus on this particular quote, while Luke 9:23 also discusses this concept, I believe the quote from Harry Potter puts it in easily understood terms that even Non-Christians can relate to.

                Radical religious groups tend to view people as inherently evil and that people sin because of the glamor of it. This reminds me of watching the Captain Planet t.v. show as a child.  The polluters on the show seemed to enjoy polluting for the sake of polluting, not because it was easier than recycling or saved their company money.  There are the great evils, the men and women you see on the evening news who commit atrocities without regard for human life, but that does not account for the vast majority of wrongs in this world.  We view sin and wrongdoing as attributes of a person: greedy, lustful, and/or violent, but how many times when we do the wrong thing it is simply because it makes life easier in the short-run?

                Sometimes doing the right thing is easy, those moments are gifts and we should be glad when the choices and the actions are natural, easy.  Unfortunately, there are many times when doing the right thing isn’t easy.  Helping a person in need is a prime example- it sounds like a no-brainer.  What if you’re running late and stopping to help someone could mean missing an important obligation?  Imagine you witness someone doing something wrong in your place of employment.  What if standing up against the wrong thing will cost you your job?  What if your friend or family member becomes a bully, will you be ready to risk your relationship with that person to stand up against bullying?

In this economy risking your job for the right thing is never an easy choice

                There are no easy answers to these questions, only a call to examine why we fail to do the right thing at times.  Often right and wrong are not black and white, but when they are, people fail to do the right thing because the wrong path is more convenient.  Nurses don’t choose their profession because the hours are short and the working conditions cushy- they work long hours and endure stress because they are called to help others.  People don’t recycle because it’s easier than throwing everything into one garbage bag – they do it because they want to reduce their impact on the environment.  

                Morality is pervasive in our cultural teachings, but it lags behind in practice.  It is not because we are inherently evil, Godless creatures; it is because we are a culture of convenience, of quick resolutions and instant gratification.  We tend to rationalize the times we make the wrong choices.  So what do we do? We do our best, and we do what is in our capacity to make this world a better place.  We do the hard work and we show courage in times of adversity.  We humans are imperfect creatures, but that does not mean that we lack the ability and the resolve to make this world better, to stand for the right thing.  

The right thing isn't always easy, but there will always be those who face the challenges, the hard work, and the repercussions of standing up for what is right.