“…Just say a simple ‘yes’ I will, or a ‘no’ I won’t. Your word is enough..” Matthew 5: 37

While running a business, I came across many types of customers: One I’ll never forget was a smuggler who lived near the seacoast, in Versova. I remember when I finalized a contract to do his house. “I need a ten per cent advance!” I told him.
“This is my advance!” he said, thrusting his huge, calloused hand to shake mine.
I was a little confused as I accepted his handshake. Surprisingly there was warmth in his grasp.
“No,” I said still puzzled, “This will not do, you will have to pay me an advance!”
“Sir,” he said, and the way he said sir, did not show he gave me much respect, “In my profession, a handshake clinches a deal!” I accepted his argument a little timorously but since an order was an order, we started the contract and finished it. The man paid every paisa.
He kept his word.
And he was a smuggler!
However, there are very few like him. Honest, so called good religious people need written contracts and agreements to make them keep their word.
A few years ago, I was part of a religious trust where trustees made all sorts of decisions at their meeting. Later when the minutes of the meeting were prepared by the chairman of the trust, he intentionally left out huge chunks of decisions. At one meeting he resigned from the trust, saying he was getting old, and it was decided in the meeting to hand over the reins to someone younger. But he went home, rethought his decision, and decided not to resign.
“I have not resigned!” he told his employees next day.
“But it’s been minuted?”
“I will be writing the final minutes!”
“A member taped the full proceedings sir,” he was told, “He played it to us!”
The man resigned. Resigned, only because a board member, knowing him, had taped the proceedings.
Does it require a recording or a signed agreement for you to stick by the truth? Isn’t your word good enough? Do people in your office, housing society or even home accept your yes and no or do they ask you to sign on the dotted line? Are you known for keeping your word?
The smuggler just gave a handshake! Today, it could have been a namaste!
“…Just say a simple ‘yes’ I will, or a ‘no’ I won’t. Your word is enough..”

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