Google wrote 8 golden rules for operating its business. Rule Number 8 might surprise you: Don't be evil. It appeared in Google's Initial Public Offering (“IPO”) prospectus in a letter from Google's founders. It stated: "Don't be evil. We believe strongly that, in the long term, we will be better served—as shareholders and in all other ways—by a company that does good things for the world even if we forgo some short-term gains."
I think "Don't Be Evil" could work very well as a personal motto. It ranks right up there with the Hippocratic Oath and Sun Tzu's "The greatest victory is that which requires no battle.” Why fight when it’s not necessary? For all of that, “don’t be evil” is not a new idea. Yes, it is surprising to find a corporation putting it out there for everyone to see (and to judge it by). But the concept has been around a very long time.
We're all weak in one way or another, likely many ways. The Bible states that we all fall short ("sin" means "to miss the target"). Take, for example, this week’s 2 Samuel passage: I feel certain Israel’s King David knew he was not supposed to be evil. He apparently had some weakness when it came to beautiful women, however. Consider his seduction of Bathsheba and his accumulation of several wives. His weakness led to him sinning.
But there's weakness and then there's evil. Where exactly is that line between being really, really bad and being evil? When King David should have been leading his soldiers into battle, he elected to stay behind. While they were away fighting and he was at the palace, he seduced Bathsheba and got her pregnant. Then David attempted to cover up those sins. At that point, if he hadn’t already, David undeniably crossed the line into evil.
First, he tried deceit. When that didn’t work, David decided to commit long-distance murder. He sent Bathsheba's husband, Uriah, back to the battle with a message for the commander. The loyal soldier didn’t know he was carrying his own death sentence. David’s order was to place Uriah in the front lines of a battle and then leave him there unprotected. His death was inevitable. That was evil.
Each of us is faced with choices every day. Whether as individuals or as corporate citizens, we must constantly choose how we will conduct ourselves in this life. Sometimes we mess up. None of us is perfect. When that happens—and it will—we can and should try to do better. But, regardless of our circumstances, there is never a scenario where any of us needs to break Rule Number 8.
Don't be evil.
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GRAPHIC 8: Adobe Express and Adobe Photoshop Express
Brief article about Google’s 8 rules:
https://www.incomediary.com/google-follows-these-8-simple-rules-and-so-should-you/
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Join us Friday morning for DaySpring’s Lectionary Breakfast. As is our practice, we start at 8:00 and run for about an hour. Join us on Zoom** or at Our Breakfast Place. We discuss this week's scripture passages and scarf down some great food.
Blessings,
Steve
**Zoom link (Zoom allows you to mute the camera and the microphone if you don’t wish to be seen or heard.):
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89947678414
SCRIPTURES FOR SUNDAY AND THE COMING WEEK
Find them here:
https://lectionary.library.vanderbilt.edu/texts/?y=382&z=p&d=66
Print them here:
https://lectionary.library.vanderbilt.edu/wp-content/uploads/pdfs/Bx_Proper12.pdf
2 Samuel 11:1-15
Psalm 14
2 Kings 4:42-44
Psalm 145:10-18
Ephesians 3:14-21
John 6:1-21
Proper 12 (17) (July 28, 2024)
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