Folks who know me understand that I am a Word Nerd and a Greek Geek (dipping a toe into Hebrew, Latin, and Coptic from time to time). I especially love the discovery of words whose meaning has done a 180-degree turn over time. Such a word is “compromise.” I believe the strange, twisting journey of this concept explains a lot about our current global reality.

So, a “promise” is a commitment or pledge from one side to another, such as “I promise to take you to the park.” A “compromise” is a conditional commitment or pledge of two sides, such as “I will take you to the park if you will clean your room.” This understanding of a mutual promise laid the foundation for the legal concept “quid pro quo” (something for something). Now, quid pro quo initially intended fairness, equity, and justice, but very early on, the idea evolved to “gaining an advantage by compromise,” in other words, “I will make this promise to you if and only if what I receive is of greater value than what I give.” The concept of a compromise shifted from mutual benefit to giving up something to get something less desirable. Humans being humans, those who compromised set out to make sure that they were not being taken advantage of. Those who felt they were getting the short end of the stick coined the term “being compromised,” as if something negative were happening to them. A “compromising situation” is one where the subject would be damaged or harmed should the truth be revealed. See where this is going?

Biblically, God offered Moses the safety, security, and heritage of a Promised Land, a land flowing with milk and honey, a place where God’s own children could live in peace and harmony under divine protection. Some today might say that the Promised Land became a Compromised Land with the delivery of the Ten Commandments, but it was on the human side that we began trying to find every possible loophole to gain advantage in the deal. A Promised Land is a motivational and inspirational gift. A Compromised Land is one where the strings attached become burdensome and oppressive, leading participants to look for any and every opportunity to turn things to their own advantage. We love to receive a good promise. We avoid any compromise that might cost more than it’s worth.

And so, the question becomes: are we currently moving toward a Promised Land or a Compromised Land? Do we have a trust and a confidence in our leaders that they have our best interests in mind and are doing everything in their power to benefit everyone, or are we so skeptical and cynical because all we see of our leaders is self-interest, power grabbing, and attention getting? Has the concept of compromise become so negative and toxic that trust and trustworthiness are all but impossible, making it difficult even to conceive of a true Promised Land.

Each week hundreds of millions of Christians pray some form of the Lord’s Prayer with this request – “thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven.” Do we ever take time to think through the implications of this appeal? As the incarnate body of Christ in the world, members of the Christian faith are pledging (promising) to act here and now as they understand people act in heaven. Is there war in heaven? Bigotry? Guns? Drugs? Politics? Denominations? Racism? Sexism? Greed? Mockery? Hostility? Aggression? Violence? Lying? Stealing? If we don’t believe these and other destructive thoughts, acts, and attitudes represent the reality of God’s heaven, then why do we allow them on God’s earth?

We have compromised and compromised to the point that we no longer trust God because we assume God is no more trustworthy than we are. I look at tech leaders, media leaders, church leaders, political leaders who only offer compromise all to their own advantage. If someone, somewhere, sometime would cast a vision for a Promised Land – a land of true freedom and safety, adequate food, shelter, and healthcare, a land of respect, dignity, and compassion, a land committed to peace, justice, equity, and mercy – it would be a huge first step toward rebuilding trust, empowering faith, promoting unity, and taking us where God wants us – without compromise.