The First Duty

Our Priorities

There is an episode of Star Trek when Captain Picard is called back to Starfleet Academy because the son of the ship’s doctor and his former helmsman has been involved in an accident that caused the death of another cadet. Wesley only had a broken arm and the rest of the flight squad survived with minor injuries. The academy convenes a hearing to determine what happened during the flight. While initially supportive of his young friend, Picard soon discovers bits of evidence that suggest something more is going on. Wesley and the rest of the squad maintain their story that during a routine maneuver, their former comrade caused the accident that killed him and injured them. Finally, Picard discovers that, in fact, they were trying to perform a dangerous maneuver banned by the academy because it caused the death of a cadet years ago. Picard confronts Wesley with this evidence and tells Wesley that the first duty of every Starfleet officer is to the truth, and Wesley goes before the hearing and admits the truth.

What is your first duty? Every job has a primary role. Every job has a primary purpose, a “first duty.” In fact, at different points in our lives, our priorities change to reflect our new realities. As a child, our first duties might be to learn and grow. As we take those first steps into adulthood, our priorities might be to find a place in society, our career, etc. For parents, their first duty switches to caring for their children. Our priorities are dependent on our current role.

So what would your first priority be as a Christian? When there comes a perceived conflict among our goals and priorities as Christians, which would win out? What is our first duty?