Rotary International is an international service organisation whose stated purpose is to bring together business and professional leaders in order to provide humanitarian services, encourage high ethical standards in all vocations, and to advance goodwill and peace around the world.

The ‘four-way test’ of Rotarians is a nonpartisan and non-sectarian ethical guide for use in their personal and professional relationships. The test has been translated into more than 100 languages, and Rotarians recite it at every club meeting:

Of the things we think, say or do;

Is it the truth?

Is it fair to all concerned?

Will it build goodwill and better friendships?

Will it be beneficial to all concerned?

My version of Rotarian principles is as follows: Speak the truth, in love, full of grace, and hope.

Let me explain.

The first and most relevant question must be: What is truth? Obviously, since all Rotarians (I am not one) make this pledge to seek and speak truth, the meaning must be ordinary and simple to all citizens. For me, as a student of both scripture and science, this notion of an absolute truth is in a God of some sorts, or an Almighty of some sort, or a Being in some form, or, as in Roman thought; an immovable principle or ideal.

Science calls this an objective, measurable, and identifiable truth. In religious thought and belief, it is usually beyond reason, or actually enters into the realm of faith or values, versus, facts or verifiable truth.

Once a common or shared definition is agreed by members, the same must become open to review by all concerned or even those not directly related. This is called the generalisation principle of science based on sample studies. Rationality is the modicum of dialogue.

The next question is: Is it fair to all concerned? This questions all relevant issues which follow, ie who are those concerned? Management science uses the 360 degree evaluation to review this assertion. Is it therefore fair to all who are directly and indirectly related to the point of reference?

The third and equally relevant question is: Will it build good and useful relationships or grow good friendships? Relationships are lateral direction, whereas the first principle was an upward direction.

So, all relationships are both upward and outward.

The final question relates to the quality and value of all relationship concerned. Obviously, in a zero-sum game framework, it cannot be that all players and actors will all be winners within a limited and materialistic paradigm.

Love, grace, and hope

These words are entirely related to my personal Christian theology from the spiritual paradigm but I will refrain from using this public platform to obviously discuss or declare this.

Nevertheless, defined from a popular point of view these three words also have particular meanings in all published dictionaries. They are as below, as per Wikipedia:

• Love encompasses a variety of different emotional and mental states, typically strongly and positively experienced, ranging from the deepest interpersonal affection to the simplest pleasure. An example of this range of meanings is that the love of a mother differs from the love of a spouse differs from the love of food.
• A grace is a short prayer or thankful phrase said before or after eating. Less commonly, it may be a prayer of thanks for other things. All other meanings are seriously Christian.
• Hope is an optimistic state of mind that is based on an expectation of positive outcomes with respect to events and circumstances in one’s life or the world at large. As a verb, its definitions include: “expect with confidence”; and “to cherish a desire with anticipation”.

Truth must always be applied, even if absolutely true for the believer, within a framework of love, grace and hope. Truth not applied is not faithful action. Translated, it means all faith must be communicated lovingly or with care and concern for any recipient.

Truth application must be with grace, is a willingness to accept that human beings cannot control all matters, and it is therefore the ability to accept that finiteness of human frailty.

The Serenity Prayer was written by the American theologian Reinhold Niebuhr (1892–1971). The best-known form is:

God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change,

Courage to change the things I can,

And wisdom to know the difference. – February 5, 2018. 

* KJ John worked in public service for 32 years, retired, and started a civil group for which he is chairman of the board. He writes to inform and educate, arguing for integration with integrity in Malaysia. He believes such a transformation has to start with the mind before it sinks into the heart!