As we have already seen in the course, having excellent character plays a significant role in making ethical decisions and living upright moral lives. But how do we acquire excellent character? Aristotle famously said, “We are what we continually do.” That is to say, character is a matter of habit. If I continually lie and steal, and do this habitually, I will become a liar and a thief. What I do becomes my character. However, if I continually practice justice and mercy (remember Micah 6:8), then my character will become that of a just and merciful person. Like anything that takes practice, say, a sport or a musical instrument, I will do better if I have someone to teach me, someone who serves as a coach or a model of excellent practice. The same is true for our character. Well-known ethicist Stanley Hauerwas suggests this when he says, “we must challenge ourselves to be the kind of community where such a story can be told and manifested by a people formed in accordance with it (“A Story-Formed Community,” in A Community of Character: Toward a Constructive Christian Social Ethic, University of Notre Dame, 1982).

• Think of a Christian with whom you have regular contact and whom you recognize as having excellent character. Invite him or her out for coffee or lunch. Tell the person that you admire his or her character, and that you would like to have a conversation around a few informal questions as a part of your Ethics course. Here are some suggested questions.
  • What are your personal core values? How did you arrive at those?
  • What challenges to your core values have you experienced in ministry or the workplace?
  • How would you define character? Who have been your examples?
  • In what ways has the local church helped to form your character?
  • What would you imagine your moral life to be like without the local church?
  • How would you describe your thought process in making an ethical decision?
  • What advice would you give to younger Christians who want to have better character?
• Write a 1 page response summarizing the responses of your interview partner. Address the question of what difference the Christian community made in the character of the person interviewed.