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Manila Bulletin devider Opinion devider The medium is the message

The medium is the message

Published Jul 6, 2025 12:05 am  |  Updated Jul 5, 2025 03:31 pm
THROUGH UNTRUE
Many professionals are often perceived as relentlessly chasing prestige, profit, and power. I know a lawyer who defies that stereotype. He considers himself a success when he commands the respect of his fellow lawyers through his honesty, integrity, and authenticity. His words serve as a compelling reminder that the true measure of professional success lies in a character shaped by these enduring values.
Though often used interchangeably, honesty, integrity, and authenticity each carry distinct meanings. Honesty is about speaking the truth, even when it is difficult or inconvenient. Authenticity involves staying true to who we are, regardless of societal expectations or pressure to conform. Integrity, meanwhile, is the consistent alignment of our thoughts, words, and actions with what is right and true, even when no one is watching.
Put simply. Honest people tell the truth. Authentic people embrace their true selves. People with integrity live in a way that reflects both. Several real-life examples illustrate how these virtues play out in daily life.
Years ago, before CCTV cameras were common, a UST engineering student went to withdraw money from an ATM near her dorm. Before inserting her card, she noticed a thick wad of peso bills left behind by the previous user. With no one around, she could have easily kept the cash. Instead, she returned it to the bank the next day. When asked why, she replied simply, “It’s not mine.” That is honesty.
In another instance, a taxi driver returned a bag left behind by an overseas Filipino worker. It contained nearly a million pesos in cash, along with a phone, jewelry, and important documents. Asked why he did not keep it, he said, “It’s a sin to steal, especially from an OFW who must have worked very hard for his family.” That act reflected not just honesty, but also integrity and authenticity.
In today’s Gospel, Jesus sends out His disciples to proclaim the Good News with a striking instruction: “Take neither money bag, nor sack, nor sandals for the journey…” (Luke 10:4). This is not merely an advice to travel light. He commands them to live with honesty, integrity, and authenticity.
It is as if Jesus were saying, “You are your best visual aids. Your entire being must reflect the truth you proclaim.” Their effectiveness depends not on what they carried, but on their absolute dependence on God for everything. Centuries later, media theorist Marshall McLuhan would turn this same truth into a powerful principle in advertising: “The medium is the message.” A good salesman persuades buyers through his honesty, authenticity, and integrity.
Jesus embodied this principle perfectly. As the incarnate God, He preached not only with words but with His life. His humility, compassion, selfless service, and sacrificial love revealed the heart of God far more powerfully than any sermon ever could.
Christ calls His followers to be living testimonies of the Gospel they proclaim. Their identity, speech, and actions must completely align with their message. This call is even more urgent today in a world weary of empty rhetoric and shifting values. As St. Pope Paul VI wisely observed, “People listen more willingly to witnesses than to teachers; and if they do listen to teachers, it is because they are also witnesses.”
Even now, the most effective followers of Jesus are not those who seek the spotlight, but those who live simply, act justly, and walk humbly with God. They resist the urge to impress. Instead, they strive to connect with people by embodying the message they carry. In a world saturated with noise, distraction, and pretense, what we need most is not eloquence, but authenticity, honesty, integrity, and unwavering faith in a God who always walks ahead of us.
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