Sincerity! Sincerely! Sincere How often we speak or write or use that simple word. It’s a word like “thanks” or “please”. It’s a word that flows so quickly from our lips or pens that we might forget its meaning.
In the golden days of Rome, it was considered a status symbol for wealthy Romans to have a Greek statue in their back yard or garden courtyard. These statues were not easy to come by, extremely expensive, and usually made of marble.
A Roman patron would order the statue of choice through an importer. After the order was placed, it maws months and sometimes years before the art was received and permanently positioned. Ordering through the local department store or catalogue or World Wide Web was unheard of.
Once received the importer, the statue would be inspected to check for damage. Shipping practices have not improved too much since those early days and often the art would be chipped or cracked during its long voyage. It was not uncommon for a statue to lose a finger or crack a nose during transit. Often the damage was practically invisible except to the trained eye. An unscrupulous importer, upon receiving a flawed piece would often use wax to fill a crack, reform a finger, or replace a nose. It looked OK, but after a few days in the warm Roman sunshine, the artwork would literally get a runny nose or begin dropping fingers indicating something was amiss.
To combat this, an honest shipper would pace a sign on the statue: “sine cera”—without wax. It indicated that no wax or any other product was used to repair the statue. It was an indication the piece was complete and whole. It was a guarantee of honesty...
Honesty involves thoughts, words, or deeds. Honesty exhibits a harmony between our beliefs and the ways in which we manifest that truth. It is a continuous concern for accuracy and appropriateness in speech. Honesty in deed maintains openness in relationship and a care for people or things. Honesty is a virtue each of us must practice and all must seek to grow in.
When we sign our name under that simple word “sincerely”; when we use that word in our speech, it is our seal or approval that what we have written is a true and honest expression of ourselves. When we speak that simple word “sincerely” it indicates our words are whole and complete; that there is no deception intended or give.
Sincerity! Sincerely! Sincere! The simple word with a life-time guarantee.