You shall not pervert justice. You shall not show partiality, and you shall not accept a bribe, for a bribe blinds the eyes of the wise and subverts the cause of the righteous. Deuteronomy 16:19
Twenty-five years ago, back in residency, drug company sales representatives were a regular fixture in our clinic. They provided lunch, gave us free baby formula, and even bought us tickets to football games. It didn’t seem corrupt to me at the time because I was benefiting from it. It was just the way things worked. I’m a poor resident. What does it hurt if I get some free stuff for me and my family? The problem of course, was that the drug rep was buying my prescribing power. Once he or she gave me anything, I felt obligated to listen to the sales pitch. Then, when it came time to prescribe, I was more likely to recommend the drug that I felt like I knew better – the drug that this drug rep was selling. I’m afraid to say that back then, my attention and prescribing power could be bought for a couple pieces of pizza. My integrity was for sale, and it was cheap.
The rules have dramatically changed regarding this kind of behavior, and I’d like to think that I’ve changed as well. I’d like to believe that I’m not for sale and that I’d stick to my principles no matter what the cost. Would I though? What if I one day worked for a company that found my faith-centered blog offensive? What if keeping my job meant that I had to tone down the Jesus-talk?
Today’s passage describes the effect that money can have on our beliefs. Money, it says, blinds the eyes of the wise and subverts the cause of the righteous. In our greed, if we’re not careful, we put ourselves up for sale. Money becomes more important than anything else and, as we seek it, we’re tempted to sacrifice everything for it. This isn’t just about money of course. Anything our appetite desires – sex, money, drugs, power, or status – can corrupt our sense of right and wrong.
This is what happened in my addiction. Though it wasn’t about greed or money, it did involve my toxic appetite, to which I sacrificed everything. I may be sober now, but the question still stands – Am I for sale? Is there some price for which I would abandon that which I know to be right? If I desire to avoid the disaster of my corrupt appetite, then daily, I must make sure that I’m following God’s will above all. In putting my will first, I put my morality up for sale, perverting everything good in my life.