c. 1998 Religion News Service

(Dale Hanson Bourke is publisher of RNS.)

UNDATED _ When I was a child, I found a compass in a pile of junk. I was thrilled with my discovery until I noticed its arrow bobbing around, pointing in various directions.

I took it home to my father, who explained that the once-useful tool had probably come in contact with a strong magnet. It no longer pointed to true north. Instead it pointed east at times, then west or south.

I couldn’t help thinking about my old compass as I listened to the various commentators during the past few days. Whatever becomes of the allegations against President Clinton, the last week has provided unique insight into our national moral compass.

We no longer seem to recognize true north. Instead, we have come in contact with the strong magnet of the legal system and are willing to forgo any discussions of morality in favor of the prevailing legal sentiment.

On the many news shows I have watched or heard, I have listened to countless attorneys but no clergy. I have heard the question asked about what is illegal or impeachable, but the morality of any of the possible scenarios is rarely discussed.

Some would say the answer is obvious, but it seems clear we are more concerned about what the nation is willing to forgive than what the Ten Commandments mandate.

And then there is the large number of people who openly say that what happens in one’s personal life should not be used to evaluate one’s ability to lead the country.

For any politician, there is a message beyond the current crisis _ the voting public has a high tolerance for what the Bible calls sin, especially if the economy is strong and the country isn’t at war.

Politicians live by votes. But individuals _ even presidents _ have to live with themselves and the moral code defined by their personal beliefs. Morality is not a democratic concept. Neither is it a legal issue.

So how do we find true north, especially in a society that turns first to lawyers in a time of moral crisis? And how do we teach our children to be moral, when the obvious message is that it is less important to be good than it is to be cagey?

The debate over right and wrong reached a peak in our home last year when my teen-age son and I spent a great deal of time arguing about music, friends and movies. Sometimes I won and he refrained from doing something out of obedience to me. But it became clear to me that I would never be able to monitor every circumstance in his life.

Finally, after much prayer for guidance, I came up with a suggestion that seemed at the time more like human foolishness than divine inspiration: I asked Chase to pray each day for guidance in making choices and to read the Bible for 10 minutes a day. I promised that if he did those two things, I would let him make his own choices.

At first I was sure I had made a mistake. But over the next weeks, Chase began to make choices that surprised me. And over time, he actually sold most of his old CDs and started to distance himself from some of his friends.

A year later, I see in him a strength of conviction that seems unusual among his peers. And I realize he has developed within him a moral guidance far stronger than anything imposed by his parents or any other external force.

In seeing his example, I have been reminded again that I, too, must ask each day for divine guidance and instruction. I must be willing to let God show me the way. As Proverbs 3:5-6 says,”Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him and he will make your path straight.” Without that regular discipline, it is too easy for me to survey my friends or calculate the risk before I make a decision. When I honestly ask God to guide me, I have a clarity that is often painful. I am sometimes struck by my selfish motives or my prideful attempts to make myself look good.

But rarely do I get so far as to calculate the legal implications of the situation. God, I have found, has a much stricter code.

Whatever happens in the current White House crisis, we must all face the need for a moral compass in our own lives. Choosing what is right is rarely a question for lawyers. We will all save ourselves a great deal of money and pain if we start out by asking God.

DEA END BOURKE