On Trust

         One thing about trust…It can only be freely given once. If trust is broken for any reason, its return must be earned, and then such return will be fragile for quite a while, if not forever. Trust is precious, matchless and soul touching. Without the capacity for trust we would continually find ourselves tossed about by the winds of fate. It is the bond that is formed between people, institutions and governments that depend upon one another to be who they say they are and do what they say they will do; and woe be to those who break the bond because the sense of loss and disappointment can be immeasurable. More than that, such a rupture can affect all other relationships, casting a shadow of suspicion over everything.

A sacred quality...

Looking at trust from this perspective, we can see that it is truly a sacred quality…God-like in many ways, the foundation for all that contains honor, truthfulness, stability, love and peace. We all know this; and we know trust as a link between ourselves and the rest of the world. If we look within ourselves, we can ask: Can I be trusted? Is my word my bond? Is my face before the world the same from day to day, or is my smile cast to deceive? Can I be counted to deliver, or do I simply speak what is convenient at the moment with no thought of truth or lie?

The word of the President...

As human beings, persons, citizens, we should all ask these questions of ourselves with some regularity to make sure we have not forgotten who we are. And just as regularly, we should ask them of our leaders. On a recent PBS Newshour, political columnist and commentator, Mark Shields, told a story of the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis when the United States and the Soviet Union were dangerously close to armed conflict over Russian missiles stationed in Cuba and U.S. missiles stationed in Italy and Turkey.  During that time U.S. President, John Kennedy, sent then Secretary of State, Dean Acheson, to France to share information with French leader, Charles de Gaulle and enlist his support.  Acheson offered to share secret surveillance photos with de Gaulle who famously said, "No, no, no, no.  The word of the President of the United States is good enough for me."

That was then.  Would the word of the President of the United States be good enough now?