A lot of young people today wear the letters WWJD? (What would Jesus do?) on bracelets, bumper stickers, and buttons. This is a good question for young people to wrestle with as they develop their conscience. But is it enough for adult Christians? Russell B. Connors and Patrick T. McCormick, authors of Character, Choices and Community: The Three Faces of Christian Ethics, say no. There is more to Christian ethics than making the "right" choice; there is also the tug of character and the impact of community.
So often we confuse ethics with questions of "right and wrong choices" and overlook the question of character and community. Generally, we know it is "right" to tell the truth and "wrong" to lie. As adults, however, we often have "gray" areas where it is not clear what is right and what is wrong. How to care for elderly parents, where to send our children to school, and many medical decisions are such experiences. Yet as Christians we feel a keen sense of duty in the face of these decisions. We know, in the very core of our being, that the decision we make also "makes" us as a person. Our actions define our character.
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