Cultural Conditioners & The Etymology Of Conservatism

Election Day + One, 2008
By CJ Alderton

Note: I take a break from writing about humor in order to do a sort of self-exorcism in regard to politics and the season we each have just endured. I am so looking forward to hearing once more about the virtues of Viagra, Preparation H and local car commercials. Anything - ANYTHING besides one more universe ending, back-stabbing political drone. Bear with me this brief rant. This should hold me for about 48 months. I hope to be funny again soon. :) Here we go...

_______

I have said little during this overheated, hyperbolic political season regarding my views -save to family and a few friends. There is a natural bias against encouraging the clergy to become too politically engaged. Add to that bias my own advanced talent in regard to conflict avoidance, and you have the perfect ingredients for what appears an apathetic sideliner. I am anything but…What follows is my reflective apercu at some sort of resolution regarding the seismic shifts that have occurred in the last few months. This is also my own humble plea for a return to conservatism – rightly defined. Let’s begin there… (If you consider yourself more liberal in your persuasions, please don’t abandon my project just yet. I believe that we may be “good friends well met” before we’re finished).

The etymology of the word conservatism is found in its verbal root: “to conserve.” The dictionary definition says this: “the disposition to retain what is established and to practice a policy of gradualism rather than abrupt change.” A true conservative conserves that which is good and elemental in a society, in a family, a church, a business or even a baseball team. And, a true conservative understands that any change carries the risk of unseen consequences; thus, it is wise to move toward change in a thoughtful and measured fashion. Because of the advanced pace of change in the past few decades, the late William F. Buckley, that erudite conservative voice for over a half century, described his task as standing astride culture and yelling, “Stop.” This conservative sensibility is not, nor should it be the exclusive domain of either the Republicans or the Democrats. To the extent that one is comfortable with the etymology of the word conservative, a “liberal” could be called a conservative. (A good read of history proves this to be true. In some countries, liberal actually means conservative).

Operational definitions are important. That is why we should leave the definitions of words in the hands of those who give us our dictionaries. Unfortunately, the word “conservative” has picked up a few barnacles the past few years, losing - as has so many words - its original meaning. It has come to signify: mean-spirited; selfish; greedy; bigoted and far-right. By its etymology, it is not that.

On a practical note, most of us live out the day to day affairs of life as conservatives. Conservatism in our daily lives means that we are pursuing a kind of peaceful & predictable equilibrium. There are things in life – many things - that we like to have “stay put.” We like them the way we are. We work hard; we pay our bills, fix up our house and mess around in our yards so that we can establish a place that is comfortable and predictable. We frequent a certain coffee shop or restaurant – not because of its novelty – but because of its predictability. If someone were to drive around and do donuts in our yard and re-arrange our house – and if our coffee shop began serving watered down drinks – we would be upset. Why? Because something peaceful and predictable – something that works – has been disturbed. That is conservatism.

So, let’s return to the definition of the word conservative for a moment: “the disposition to retain what is established and to practice a policy of gradualism rather than abrupt change.” Please note the last word of the definition – the word, “change.” That little word has been the catchphrase of one side of the political combatants this political season. It has been, to a lesser degree, employed by the other side as well.

When our founding fathers gathered to do their own version of blogging, viz. diaries, and books, The Constitution and such – they were doing so with a very cosmopolitan world view as a backdrop. They were men who had witnessed the devastation and tyranny of a government system that had become incredibly domineering. These were men of letters. Many were fluent in several languages. Nearly all were entrepreneurial in character. As they formed up their new union they tried their very best to codify a system of government that would safeguard liberties which would allow future citizens to advance in life as far as their own talents and energies allowed them. Their understanding of a good government was one which preserved the right to follow after life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness with as few restrictions as possible.

It was the over-reach of the British government that helped foment the rebellion. There were simply too many rules, too many demands, and too many affronts to personal liberties that oppressed the human spirit. In addition, our founders became highly suspicious of a government that would try to curry favor from the people by promising to do for them those things they were capable of doing for themselves. They feared, as they wrote our founding documents, that there would come a day when the people of the United States would, one by one, weaken and surrender their liberties in exchange for more government solutions and hand-outs. In a prophetic look down the road, Thomas Jefferson expressed these fears by saying :

“Nor should [a legislative body] be deluded by the integrity of their own purposes and conclude that… unlimited powers will never be abused because [they] themselves are not disposed to abuse them. They should look forward to a time, and that not a distant one, when corruption in this, as in the country from which we derive our origin, will have seized the heads of government and be spread by them through the body of the people, when they will purchase the voices of the people and make them pay the price. Human nature is the same on every side of the Atlantic, and will be alike influenced by the same causes.” - Thomas Jefferson: Notes on Virginia Q.XIII, 1782. ME 2:164

Our nation has grown to almost three hundred million people. Yet, much of our lives are determined by the few hundred people who make up the legislative, judicial, and executive branches of government. As a nation, we have gone the way of other failed cultures by asking for more and more government involvement in our lives – just as Jefferson had feared. There is a predictable result to all of this: The more government we ask for, the more we are governed.

Pick any issue that you can think of and I can guarantee that there is a warehouse full of career bureaucrats wheedling away at policies who will eagerly rush in to: constrict, restrict, plan, fine, complicate, hinder, disallow, and tax that enterprise. Government, i.e., governing others, is a tumor that can only grow. It knows no other function. This governmental creep has often been compared to a pig. But perhaps a better analogy is a sheep. A sheep has no natural mechanism for signaling to its brain that it is full. It will literally eat itself to death. To save the sheep, the farmer has to “stick” it by cutting open its belly and pulling out the fermenting gorge. (Although somewhat tempted, I will not chase that analogy any further).

I have no political home these days because both parties have proven themselves ravenous sheep. Granted, one sheep seems to be further skilled in its gluttony – but that is merely a matter of degree – not intent. Both of their compasses are pointed at the “all you can eat” buffet. Why do I say this? -Because this political gluttony is endemic to both Republicans and Democrats. Each side promises those things which will perpetuate until death political careers. And we, the people, continue to leave the gate open for our particular favorite sheep.

Let me speak plainly. The old maxim: “All politics are local” underscores this point. We might loathe a political hack such as Republican Senator Ted Stevens who, while convicted of seven felonies, brazenly chose to defend his long-held seat in the senate. Or, we may de-cry the boorish behavior of Senate Majority Leader, Democrat Harry Reid, who has lined his pockets with favorable land deals but has managed to avoid any investigations because of the power he wields. Yet, there is little we can do about them unless we happen to live in their state. And they, skilled at bringing home to their own constituency a few pieces of political pork, continue to get re-elected, ad infinitum. We who have asked for our little piece of the pork find ourselves incrementally more dependent on and obligated to our pet sheep. We despise another state’s sheep. Another state hates our sheep. Because we are not able to vote out another’s sheep (which would be a grand idea!) we become more and more governed. Now and then the electorate rises up to vote in a President who plays the conservative card to remedy this frustration – but the conservatives elected to the highest office invariably turn out to be poorly named.

What is distressing about the past few months is that the checks and balances meant to impede government overreach have been blurred beyond distinction. A supposedly conservative President Bush has, on his watch, brought the country to a place where nationalization of our economic sectors is not only seen as necessary, but good. In the past, when a tin-pot dictator in another country has nationalized his countries energy supplies and infrastructure – and in so doing has booted out American companies who had made massive capital investments – both Republicans and Democrats have decried such actions with great alacrity. Hugo Chavez of Venezuela is the most recent example. To have heard Democratic Senator Chuck Schumer – a dependable Bush-basher - defend President Bush a couple of years ago against the rants of Chavez was refreshing…and rare.

But here we are: a nation of failed banks, strapped hedge funds, and tightened credit markets - a stock market that has shed trillions of dollars of people’s retirements - and what we are promised is more government. The very people who led us into this swamp are now asking us to trust them again. And congress, right on cue, reacted in a predictable fashion to the 700 billion dollar bailout plan. With all of that money in play the sheep lined up for the buffet. At one point there were 2000 proposed earmarks attached to the bailout. An earmark is a barnacle that is added to a piece of legislation by a local politician that…brings home money…to his or her constituents…so that he or she can get re-elected…and; ad. inf., ad naus.

The most disquieting thing about this election is that we have had presidential candidates promising to act like congress, i.e., to act like sheep. Both candidates promised more government help and more government solutions. This isn’t change. It is the old buffet system on steroids. One of the reasons that only two Senators had ever been elected President in our nation’s history was the wise understanding within the electorate that these Senators were too accustomed to standing in line at the buffet table. With the Senatorial halls being peopled with folks who had little experience or appreciation of restraint, the good judgment of the American people leaned more toward governors. Governors, it was thought, had at least some skill at operating a brake pedal. We have had no such choice in this election. Senators we have been given.

Moreover, neither has owned a business or have had to worry about making a payroll. And, I am sure neither of them has read the 18th Century classic by Adam Smith, The Wealth of Nations. Had they done so, they would understand that prosperity flows from liberty and that liberty produces liberality, i.e. more jobs for more people. Government cannot create jobs that produce. Government can only create tax-supported bureaucracies that consume. But, government can play an important role by getting out of the way. The current electorate seems anxious for just the opposite. I was watching the news the other night and heard a supporter of President-elect Obama say this: “When Barak is elected, I won’t have to worry about putting gas in my car or paying my mortgage. If I help him, he is going to help me.” Oh really? She has inadvertently stated the quid pro quo - perfectly.

As I mentioned earlier – I am done with political parties. If I could bring back the Whigs, I would do so. They believed in the genius and energy of the common person to solve his or her own problems and to create wealth for all by hard work and ingenuity. They were resistant to a large, intrusive government that would propose to dictate every facet of life and to involve itself in every challenge. That is a foreign idea in our present political climate to both the elected and the electorate. Professional politicians have a vested interest in sustained dependence. As that dependence grows, the political machinery can mold the willing recipients of the bread-crumbs thus cast into whatever they wish.

C.S Lewis foresaw this in his remarkable series of lectures to a somewhat hostile audience in England, and later published in the book: The Abolition of Man. Few people have read that book these days – even Christians. They find it too difficult. (A more humorous version of these thoughts is found in Lewis’ work: That Hideous Strength). That is a shame because in it, Lewis presciently describes our current situation with these words:

“But the mind-molders of the new age will be armed with the powers of an omnicompetent state and an irresistible technique: we shall get at last a race of conditioners who can cut all posterity in what shape they please. "

–CS Lewis The Abolition of Man

Have we crossed into that moment in history where we are now unwitting subjects to the cultural conditioners? I would say yes. As the political parties dole back to us a fraction of the money and sweat they take from us – those political gifts will come with conditions – the quid pro quo will be enacted. Nothing will be off limits to the future corrosion of liberties – food, drink, transportation, industries, allowable speech, values, morals, risks, income – all will be moved in a direction to please the faceless, hum-drum cultural conditioners who work their craft in and through elected officials. Thomas Jefferson warned against this as well…

[A very capital defect in a constitution is when] all the powers of government, legislative, executive and judiciary result [go] to the legislative body. The concentrating these in the same hands is precisely the definition of despotic government. It will be no alleviation [relief] that these powers will be exercised by a plurality of hands, and not by a single one. One hundred and seventy-three despots [congress] would surely be as oppressive as one. - Thomas Jefferson: Note on Virginia Q.XIII, 1782. ME 2:162

If you sense a strong libertarian streak in what I am saying, you might be right. Be that as it may, my appeal for true change in the form of smaller government along with neutered and spayed politicians has a recent historical precursor in my beloved Ireland. Having for centuries been the impoverished step-sister of Europe and Great Britain, a few years ago the Celts decided to try something different. They decided to abolish the practice of taxing individuals and corporations in a confiscatory way and to reduce their nanny state chain of rules and procedures to a minimum. In addition, they decided to invest in education in such a way that it moved their young people toward marketable, high-tech skills. Businesses flocked to Ireland. The result has become one of the greatest stories of financial prosperity in the history of Europe. It is known as the “Celtic Tiger” and has moved the Republic of Ireland to the top of the heap. It is a model for what could happen here if the people – you and me – actually rose up and demanded less.

So there – I have given you my political rant – unasked for and perhaps unwelcome. I realize that I run the risk of being pigeon-holed within the ranks of those old men who sit around in their tweeds, sipping brandy, smoking their pipes and saying: “Harrrumph, Harrrumph.” To this accusation I would cheerfully reply: “Hear, Hear.”

Be well blessed…
-CJ

P.S. My treat – other great political quotes for you to enjoy…

“If you don’t read the newspaper you are uninformed; if you do read the newspaper you are misinformed.” - Mark Twain

“I contend that for a nation to try to tax itself into prosperity is like a man standing in a bucket and trying to lift himself up by the handle.” - Winston Churchill

“A government which robs Peter to pay Paul can always depend on the support of Paul.”

- George Bernard Shaw

“A liberal is someone who feels a great debt to his fellow man, which debt he proposes to pay off with your money.” - G. Gordon Liddy

“Democracy must be something more than two wolves and a sheep voting on what to have for dinner.” - James Bovard, Civil Libertarian (1994)

“Foreign aid might be defined as a transfer of money from poor people in rich countries to rich people in poor countries.” - Douglas Casey, (Classmate of Bill Clinton at Georgetown University)

“Government is the great fiction, through which everybody endeavors to live at the expense of everybody else.” - Frederic Bastiat, French Economist (1801-1850)

“If you think health care is expensive now, wait until you see what it costs when it’s free!”
- P.J. O’Rourke

“In general, the art of government consists of taking as much money as possible from one party of the citizens to give to the other.” - Voltaire (1764)

“Democracy is the worst form of government, except for all those other forms that have been tried.” -Winston Churchill

“The statesman [politician] who should attempt to direct private people in what matter they employ their capital would…assume an authority which could safely be trusted to no single person, to no council or senate whatever, and which would nowhere be so dangerous as in the hands of a man who had folly and presumption enough to exercise it…To prohibit great people from making all that they can of every part of their own produce…in the way that they judge most advantageous to themselves, is a manifest violation of the most sacred rights of mankind…” –Adam Smith

“We the people are the rightful masters of both Congress and the courts, not to overthrow the
Constitution, but to overthrow the men who pervert the Constitution.” - Abraham Lincoln

Humor Me, Part 2

In Matthew 24:12, Jesus looks into the future and makes this prophetic observation: “Because lawlessness (evil) will be multiplied, the love of many will grow cold.” It appears an odd pairing. Lawlessness is always in need of love. It would seem that the more there is of evil, the more opportunities there are for love; thus, more love in the world. That is simple, linear math.

Jesus says just the opposite. The more that lawlessness increases in the world the more it wears down and eventually wears out love. Lawlessness becomes a 360 enclosure that snuffs and suffocates. What He is almost saying is that evil will triumph over love. Darth Vader will be Lord of the Universe. The “Overman” from the novel, Thus Spoke Zarathustra, by Friedrich Nietzsche, will finally triumph. It is sobering. It is an uncharacteristically defeatist statement from the lips of the One whose stated purpose was to come save the world.

The next statement by Jesus does little to improve the dismal mood: “But the one who endures to the end will be delivered.” Because Jesus has already marked out the diminishing supply of love in the previous verse, we can only assume that the chief characteristic of those who endure to the end are those who still manage to practice love – in spite of whatever manner of evil they happen to encounter.

So let’s dial it forward. Do we live in evil and lawless times? Yes. Are the present evil/lawless times more pronounced than other times in history? It is hard to say. But what we can all agree upon is that, in our day, we are exposed to an exponential amount of evil/lawlessness every time we sit in front of a blinking cursor. The age of information – the ability to see almost every part of our world in real time – exposes us to massive doses of “the lesser angels” of this world each second. It is, in Jesus’ words, “An increase in lawlessness.” And it does put a strain on our ability to love. At least it does mine.

Let’s talk politics for just a moment. I am not out to parse any particular political philosophy for its endemic wickedness. For the record, I am weary of them all. (Has my love grown cold)? I just wish to raise this question: Have you noticed how angry everyone seems to be? Objective truths about how we arrived at our current financial crisis are thrown into the ditch because objectivity is not a useful tool. The tools that are wielded - which have a more immediate sound-bite advantage than the droll recitation of facts - are: histrionics, hyperbole, and outright whoppers of lies. For all practical purposes we function under a two-party system, with the Green Party, the Libertarian Party, and the Communist Party being statistical non-entities. Because we “practically” have only the two choices, most of us lean slightly or lean hard one way or another. But what does a good Republican make of the fact that our government's reach and debt has grown more under a Republican administration than all of the New Dealers combined? And what does an honest Democrat make of the fact that “the facts” surrounding the subprime mortgage crisis was due to Democratic leadership being cozied up to and benefitting from major Wall Street fat-cats? (Even Saturday Night Live pointed out this anomaly in their skit entitled Fannie/Freddie – much to the chagrin of George Soros). Everyone lies. And it seems everyone lies about lying. And, the world’s economy is going down in flames while everyone tells more lies. Lawlessness is indeed increased – and on a global scale. Bank accounts are not the only thing being drained; so too our deposits of love.

I have only mentioned politics. I could wax on and on about other manifestations of evil: terrorism; mass starvation; blood diamonds; globalization; the resurgent Dallas Cowboys, McDonald’s “Gourmet” coffee – you name it. Each could produce a lifetime of wrathful rants. But, let’s move on…

Unless you’re dead or truly demented, you probably noticed a shift in my tone three sentences ago. In spelling out examples of increases in evil/lawlessness, I mentioned McDonalds “Gourmet” coffee and the resurgent Dallas Cowboys. Why? - To slow you down…to make you smile…to open a relief valve.

Humor is, I believe, a gift from God. And, I also believe that it is a handmaiden to love. Humor can be misused. Much that is purported to be humor on the Comedy Channel is little more than grown men acting out ribald, junior high, locker room refuse. It is a form of humor lower than the lowly pun. That, and bitter sarcasm are the preferred methods of comedic relief employed by popular culture. It is not uplifting, it is debasing.

No, what I am talking about is much different. The humor that God injects for the benefit of humanity and expressed through the human instrument is diffusive in nature. Through humor, God deconstructs tough circumstances and puts them into a kingdom perspective.

One day, Jesus was approached by a group of religious big-shots who were trying to get Jesus into trouble. Their question was well thought-out. “Is it lawful (for us Jews) to pay taxes to Caesar or not?” If He answered one way, it would bring down the wrath of the people who were beginning to follow His teaching. They despised the oppressive, occupational government. If He answered it another way, He would be found guilty of insurrection by the Roman occupiers. Either way, He was cooked. It was similar in kind to the old joke line asked to an innocent man by a clever divorce attorney: “So, are you still beating your wife?”

We are so used to reading this story that we miss the drama and the humor. Jesus asks for a coin. They bring Him a Roman issued denarius. He looks at the coin and says: “Hmmm…uh…nice…So, whose picture is on this coin? “ The big-shots answer. Jesus responds, “Well I guess it belongs to this guy then. If he wants it back, I guess he can have it. Oh, and by the way – whose image is stamped on you?” “Rumble, rumble…we are made in God’s image!’” “Alrighty then – God wants what is His – so give it to Him.” Beautiful.

The kingdom of which Jesus spoke is a kingdom of light. Light is not only a contrast to darkness, light is a contrast to heaviness. If something is light it is neither dark nor heavy. As kingdom people, our hearts should be light. Our hope is not in the kingdoms of this world. As they have been, so shall they always be; vis a vis, a major disappointment. Our call is higher, holier, and to be honest – more fun – to bring “to light” and "to the light" the heaviness of our day.

Humor Me, Part 1

C.J’s Journal...Wednesday, September 24, 2008, "Somewhere in my yard..."

The daily report...So, after locking my keys in my office and having to track down a spare set of keys from my assistant - I was beat. I had been working pretty much since 5 a.m. that morning. I was now debating whether to go to the grocery store and grab some stuff for the weekly Patrick Crossing meal or just go home and crash. I finally decided that I would just do it and get it over with. So, I bought the groceries for Patrick Crossing along with some nice, fresh chicken for the grill to cook up for the family that night.

When I got home, I noticed fresh mole hills all over my yard. I groaned. I have a mutant version of moles. They thrive on poison, fire, flooding, ammonia and smoke bombs. Recently, I had purchased several boxes of the little smoke bombs that you light and drop down into the holes. Excited the next morning to see whether or not this newest tactic had worked, I strolled down the yard to the place of the worst infestation. I was chagrined not only to see a fresh pile of dirt, but one of the smoke bombs pushed to the top of the hill and perched like a birthday candle. It was like they were hoisting their thin, wispy limbs and giving me the paw. They are like Pharaoh of the Old Testament. No matter what plague I throw at them, they continue to harden their hearts. I have stood in my yard when no one was around (after dark) and in my best Charlton Hesston voice have solemnly cried out, "Let my yard goooooo."

They are now moving from spot to spot. It seems that I am herding them. I long to whack these blind, buck-toothed demons over the head – like that old arcade game – but these cowards refuse to pop their heads up as I greedily stand above their holes with my 9 iron. I am now trying the smoke bombs along with something called, "Uncle Ian's Mole Repellent." (Ingredients: 89% dried blood - no joke). I discovered something about smoke bombs. They actually explode. But I am getting ahead of myself. Before I went out on my nightly mole reconnaissance, I lit the grill and threw the chicken on....

Back to the moles.......So, I am bent over a hole trying a new technique - light two bombs at the same time and drop them in different holes - kind of a Nazi panzer/pincer strategy. The first bomb goes down nicely. I quickly drop the second bomb and it gets stuck. A cloud of toxic smoke is now swirling about my head. I shove real hard on the non-business end of the eight inch incendiary device and... "boom!" The mole bomb blows up in my hand. I am now missing all of the hair on my right forefinger and black scorch marks are trailing up my arm.

But now.....what's that? I smell smoke - an odd smelling smoke - and hear a commotion in the house. I trot back in to wash off the putrid smell of burnt flesh and finger hair stubble and see my family all closing windows and chatting about the smoke. ("Boy that is some smoke. That is really smoky smoke...Smoke, Smoke, Smoke, Smoke...bad smoke.") No one has checked the grill because they think I am outside attending it. I grumble and fly past them to go see about the smoke. As I round the corner, I see flames shooting up the side of my house - three of the logs on my freshly stained log house are seriously blackened and smoking. There is also a dangling, dripping melted cable from my satellite dish - completely fried. I dive in under the flames, grab the grill and pull it away from the house, torching up my fingers, all the while yelling for water.

For whatever inexplicable, boneheaded reason, I decide that I need to check on the chicken. I grab the handle, scream in pain, and am greeted by the fires of hell thirstily switching directions toward this massive new inflow of fresh air. More hair is singed off. Sadly - when the flames die down - I see what appear to be 10 charcoal briquettes resting on the grill. A few minutes ago these were fresh chicken thighs with great potential - now, nothing but charred remains of a once well-intentioned meal.

Martin Luther, he of Protestant fame, spoke often about laughter in the midst of the annoying and painful trials of life. He said this: “The best way to drive out the devil, if he will not yield to the texts of Scripture, is to jeer and flout him, for he cannot bear scorn.” His thought was that laughter is a form of spiritual warfare - that it brings great disappointment and even discouragement to the forces of hell. I like that thought...

Some people - a lot of people - are way too serious and, take themselves too seriously. That seriousness becomes a relational repellent. But beyond that, those who walk through life by taking themselves and the various trials of life way too seriously are – to put it bluntly – liars. They are people who see a molehill and tell you it is a mountain...

(We will be hanging around the subject of humor for awhile...See you soon.)

Becoming A Self-Centered Christian, Part 3

There is a lonely and silent aspect to the Christian life that many find unbearable. Jesus calls us aside and beckons us to a quiet place in order to speak to us, to heal us and to give us clear direction. The silence is deafening. We prefer action, movement and cacophony. It is the world in which we live. In a song written several years ago, Randy Stonehill caught up to our sickness with these words: “It’s the fear of silence that gives us away. ‘Cause when we’re alone, we have to hear, what our aching heart’s trying to say.”

There is a pride attached to busyness. To be burned out and bone-tired is a badge of honor. There are not many who like to answer the question: “So what have you been up to?“ with: “I have been working on slowing down, relaxing and being quiet before the Lord.” There is no “snap” to such a reply. Rather, we much prefer to share a litany of suspect accomplishments in order to secure our place in the “world of worth” based upon our exhaustion. If we are more exhausted than our neighbor, we win.

This game of one-upmanship has one other benefit – it creates space. If I can convince enough people that I am about to become unhinged because of my busyness, then, “They’ll leave me the hell alone.” Oftentimes, the distancing that takes place by our projected busyness includes our spouse, our children, and our friends. If we succeed, and are left “the hell alone” – that is usually what we get - hell…alone.

“Hell alone” is the wrong kind of quietness because it is not all that quiet. It is a cave with many voices echoing in disunity throughout our internal world. There is one voice that begins a conversation with: “Man, I wish I made more money and had a better job…” and before that sentence is even finished, another voice interrupts with: “I can’t believe how he/she treated me today…” and, before that thought is completed: “I hate the way I have let myself go…” and on, and on. All of the voices “appear” to be our own voice. I suspect however that the voices we hear as our own are borrowed from a more malevolent source. The Dark Lord, the master of confusion, has littered our mind with a world of anxious offenses and faithless ideas. He then, in a grand act of hellish ventriloquism, uses our voice to create his own inner playground of torment. We awake the next day – not so much as one who is alive - but as one who merely exists.

We are called to a better existence. It begins with a dose of what we have called Christian narcissism. If I am not caught up in “me”, I will be no good to Him – or anyone else. It seems strangely antithetical to all of what we have understood Christianity to be – populated with such themes as: love of others, self-sacrifice, and good works. The effort we are called to give seems to be “other” oriented. But here is the thing – the inner reserve for such selfless living is actually fueled by self-centered attentions.

Early in His public ministry, Jesus demonstrated what we have been discussing. In the Gospel of Mark, in one day, Jesus heals a man at the local synagogue in Capernaum, and then ends up at the home of Peter’s mother-in law. The poor lady is so ill she cannot even put some dinner out for Jesus and his disciples. That is a very embarrassing situation for a Mideast Jewish host. Jesus heals the woman and she immediately runs to the kitchen and, as Mark tells us, “…begins to serve them.” It took about a minute for the word to travel around the village. Before night fell, the yard was full of the moaning sick and the howling demonized. Jesus healed them all. And then what? He left the scene of busyness and success and we find these penetrating words from Mark: “Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, He got up, went out, and made His way to a lonely place, and there He prayed.” Mark 1:35. This moment of apparent “narcissism” didn’t sit well with the disciples. When they finally tracked Jesus down, they were all in a bother about the crowds that had already gathered at revival central, formally known as the in-law’s house. Jesus would have none of it. Neither the pleasure of perceived success, nor the pride of laborious busyness could detract Him from His mission. It was in the quiet place that He was given His direction for that day.

I close with a word about false humility. Real humility is a good thing. God tells us to humble ourselves so that we will be lifted up at the right time. [Just a side note: God doesn’t humble us – He tells us to humble ourselves. It is interesting to note that the method of demonstrating humility, of humbling ourselves, falls nicely into the category of Christian narcissism. According to the Epistle of Peter, we demonstrate humility by: “Casting all of our cares upon Him.” This is the lonely act, the selfish act. All of those cavernous echoing voices meet their match as we humbly cast our cares upon Him. See I Peter 5:6, 7] False humility is not real humility. False humility is characterized by a person who constantly belittles his or her own spiritual vitality or future spiritual prospects. Phrases such as: “I am still just a sinner saved by grace” is not so much a sign of humility as it is a flashing sign that announces: “Beware – I am still so enamored of my flesh that I can go off at any moment and behave as if…I am still a sinner.” While the phrase sounds spiritual – it is anything but. We can run up any number of things that is offensive to God: gossip; lust (boys will be boys); blue humor; unforgiveness; greed; covetousness; anger; etc. – so long as we end with the phrase: ““I am still just a sinner saved by grace.” It is the Protestant equivalent of priestly absolution. This phrase betrays a lack of lonely time spent with the Master where all such things are weakened and then vanquished – not justified. Only a purposeful narcissist will care enough to find that quiet place where all can, and will be, healed.

Do Axe-heads Still Float?

(Note: This post is an "Extra, Extra - Read All About It!" I will return to my series later this week).

In the Old Testament there is the story of a man named Elisha who was a student of a guy named Elijah. They were both prophets. Both of their lives were marked by supernatural events. Elisha - for those doing the math - experienced twice as many miracles in his life as did his mentor Elijah. The reason? He simply asked for it. As his mentor Elijah was about to be taken up into heaven in a fiery chariot, Elijah asked Elisha what he could do for him. Elisha responded with this simple request: "Let me inherit a double portion of your spirit." Elijah responded, "If you see me when I am taken away - then it shall be yours." Shortly after that exchange, the fiery chariot appeared and Elijah disappeared. All that was left was Elijah's mantle. Elisha then walked over to the river Jordan, struck the water with a stick and cried out: "Where is the God of Elijah?" At that, the waters parted and Elisha repeated in reverse order the last physical miracle of Elijah. It makes for compelling reading.

Something I have noticed about a few of the miracles recorded in the Bible is how ordinarily spectacular they are. What I mean by that is how some of the miracles are attached to very ordinary wants and needs. Yes, we read of real miracle working events that makes sense in the life of Jesus: a deaf man hears, a lame man walks, a blind eye is opened. These make sense. They are useful. They are prudent. But, when a miracle comes along that is totally gratuitous – where it seems as if God is just show-boating for the most modest, even selfish (?) of needs - I believe that we are being shown something of the Father's heart. Yes, Jesus healed a lot of people, but He also turned water into wine. Was that really a pressing need or was it just a want? Or, how about Jesus strolling across the Sea of Galilee? Was that really necessary or was it just...well...fun?

One of the miracles Elisha performed falls, from my perspective, into the gratuitous category. We have the story of a student of Elisha’s chopping some wood near the Jordan River when the axe-head flies off and plops into the water. The guy freaked out because the axe was borrowed. Many of us have known that horrible feeling. Returning a headless axe-handle would be rather embarrassing. I imagine coming by an axe-head back in that day and time involved more than just taking the chariot down to the local Home Depot. This may have been a community axe-head shipped in from Egypt. Elisha asked the man the approximate location of where the axe-head went in. The student showed him. Elisha then cut a stick and threw it in the general direction of the sunken axe-head; and, lo and behold, it floated to the top.

Hmmm...If I had a store of miracles to perform that were exactly twice that of Elijah, I would miser those suckers like the proverbial three wishes from the Genie. I would make sure they were used for noble, spiritual, unquestioned & donor-approved purposes. But that was not the case with Elisha. He just said, “Stand back. I’ll get it for you.” The next thing you know, there is the axe-head floating up to shore like Ivory Soap. Another miracle used up. Bummer.

The thing that I have been learning of the Father’s heart as of late is this very important truth: What concerns me, concerns Him. He loves me that much. The gratuitous nature of some of the miracles shout out to us that God cares about the wine at a party, cooling His son’s dusty feet by a stroll across a lake, and by causing axe-heads to float so a humble student of a prophet won’t have to suffer the humiliation of returning a useless tool back to its owner.

Please hear this – with God, anything is possible. Please hear this – God is not diminished in His ability or supply of miracles by doling out gratuitous displays of His kindness: His resources are endless. And, there is also this – these unwarranted acts of kindness enhance the fatherhood of God. Do we not, as earthly parents, sometimes give gifts to our children – just because? Sure we do. Why would our heavenly Father be any different? He loves us and is crazy about us.

So, with all this as background, let me share a brief testimony of one of those gratuitous miracles that just happened to me this morning. My son Josh and I spent a good part of the day doing something I do not really enjoy – working on cars. We had before us a brake job for my wife’s car which included pads and rotors. Josh’s car needed motor mounts replaced. (Thanks to our good friend James Lane, this latter one was accomplished with skills that go well beyond my meager mechanical abilities). Now, I would probably enjoy working on cars if I had all of the cool tools available to me that I see in repair shops. But no, I am the guy rolling around on hot cement with my Wal-Mart tools trying not to swear at helpless, inanimate objects.

As I manned up to the job of getting the calipers to loosen off of the rotors, I noticed that GMC had switched from SAE to metric. (Yay Detroit)! I groaned. My assortment of metric tools was just that – an assortment. I needed an 18mm socket. I walked over to my tool box and began rooting around. I found a 17mm and a 19mm. As I was standing there, tempted again to that swearing thing, Josh said he thought the 18mm might be under his car. Picture this scene. I was standing there with my ratchet with no socket on the end in one hand and a 17mm and 19mm in the other. Josh is looking at my forlorn countenance. I watch Josh dive under his car to look for the missing 18mm. I look back at my ratchet a second later and there is a socket on the end. I look at my hands – totally puzzled. Both the 17mm & the 19mm are still in my left hand, but another socket has appeared – appeared mind you – on the end of my ratchet! I squint to read the numbers on the side of the socket and it says: 18mm. Revival broke out in the garage.

Does God care for me so much, does He know how much I loathe auto repair, and does He love my wife so much that He wanted me to finish up this brake job with as little whining as possible? Evidently the answer to all of these questions is:”Yes”! I have to admit, I would rather show up tomorrow at the hospital and pull a Jesus by emptying out every bed with a miraculous healing, but maybe, just maybe, these little miracles lead us to the big ones. We have to stand before we can walk and we have to walk before we can run. Today, I tottered to my feet. Somewhere deep in my spirit I had said, “Where is the God of Elijah?” And God said, “Right here, with an 18mm in my hand.”

“Dear friends, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God and receive from Him anything that we ask...” I John 3:21a

Becoming A Self-Centered Christian, Part Two

I was watching an info-mercial recently that was hawking a workout DVD. The clip featured a happy, middle-aged couple whose lives had been changed by following the aerobic dance moves recorded on the product. They were tanned, fit, and very Ultra-Bright of smile. But what I couldn’t take my eyes off of was the host of the program who was interviewing the happy couple. This person was enormous, pasty, and had a noticeable chin waddle when panning from camera to camera. It was disorienting and contradictory. If the product was so awesome, so affordable, and so easy – why had the host not benefitted? The whole thing seemed like a Mad TV parody.

I often wonder if that is the view people have of those who call themselves followers of Christ – people who have found “the way”, the place of abundance, and the hope that promises “joy unspeakable”. I can well imagine an objective outsider of the Christian faith saying something like this: “You claim to have a great product, but your life seems as empty, angry, depressed and stressed as mine. Why should I add the rigor of religious observance to an already overcommitted life?” Great question.

In the last post we talked about the necessity of narcissism in getting us down the road a little further in our spiritual journey – a sort of “save yourself first” mentality. That post received some spirited phone calls and chats with believers and non-believers alike. Let me say this...while I enjoyed the dialogue, I need no lectures about how narcissism is antithetical to the Christian ideal. Yes, yes…I get that. But, I think it is worth exploring the concept that, without a very self-centered, self-examined life, we really have nothing much to offer. Let’s look at a couple of “narcissistic” verses…

And why worry about a speck in your friend’s eye when you have a log in your own? How can you think of saying to your friend, “Let me help you get rid of that speck in your eye,” when you can’t see past the log in your own eye? Hypocrite! First get rid of the log in your own eye; then you will be able to deal with the speck in your friend’s eye. – Matthew 7:3-5

…work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you both to will and to do of His good pleasure. - Philippians 2:12b-13

We could fill pages with verse after verse that urge us on toward a myopic self-centered journey, but these two passages will work just fine. How much more self-centered can you get than Jesus’ command to do your own eye exam? Or, how about Paul’s admonition to: “…work out your own salvation?” Where do these verses draw our attention? If I am reading them, they draw the attention to me. If you are reading them, they draw the attention to you. What is the point? It is simple. We can do precious little good in this world if we are blind to our own faults; and, that salvation is a very personal experience.

Now, is such self-examination really an example of narcissism? Maybe yes, maybe no. True narcissism has a different end in view than this Christian narcissism of which we have been speaking. Narcissism takes us down deep into ourselves and leaves us there; festering in our own isolated self-centeredness. Christian narcissism takes us deep into ourselves in order to free us to do and be just the opposite. With Christ at our side, we are called to explore the inky depths and crannies of everything we find within us that runs counter to His nature. And, in so doing, to emerge from that cave a person who is skilled to compassionately render aide to those suffering from eye-splinters. The dark explorations help us appreciate the light.

In the next post we will talk more about the importance of completing the full circle from darkness to light. In so doing, we will expose the nasty inhibitor known as false humility that thwarts the true purpose of Christian narcissism. As always…be well blessed. - CJ

Becoming A Self-Centered Christian, Part One

“In the Greek/Roman tale told by Ovid, Echo, a nymph, falls in love with a vain youth named Narcissus, who was the son of the blue Nymph Leirope of Thespia. One day when Narcissus was out hunting, Echo stealthily followed the handsome youth through the woods, longing to address him but unable to speak first. When Narcissus finally heard footsteps and shouted "Who's there?” Echo answered "Who's there?" And so it went, until finally Echo showed herself and rushed to embrace the lovely youth. He pulled away from the nymph and vainly told her to leave him alone. Narcissus left Echo heartbroken and she spent the rest of her life in lonely glens, pining away for the love she never knew, until only her voice remained. Eventually he became thirsty and went to drink from a stream. As he saw his reflection, he fell in love with it, not knowing that it was him. As he bent down to kiss it, it seemed to "run away" and he was heart broken. He grew thirstier but he wouldn't touch the water for fear of damaging his reflection, so he eventually passed away by dying of thirst and self love, staring at his own reflection. The Narcissus flower grew from where he died.” – Wikipedia

Aren’t words great? To think that our national psyche finds both its hero and its definition from this ancient myth is remarkable. We are living in a narcissistic society. Narcissism is defined as: inordinate fascination with oneself; excessive self-love; vanity. I rarely post much on this blog that would hint at political sensibilities, but I do find it amazing that one of our candidates for President – the one lacking any notable achievements or experience – has managed to write a couple of books about his favorite subject – himself. In the climate of our day, his candidacy makes perfect sense.

One of the great battles of the Christian faith is to squarely set our shoulders against the push of narcissism that attacks from within and without. The “without” is perhaps the easier of the two to combat. We can simply practice a modified form of Amish-ism by turning down and tuning out the popular culture which blares at us from newsstands, televisions and radios. But, I kind of think that even the Amish have the same problem as it relates to the - “within” - as me …which of course is “me.” I cannot seem to turn down or tune out me. “Me” is a noisy little chap that craves attention, affirmation, admiration, adoration, silence (from others), and is self-serving, self-promoting, self-centered and a host of other naughty things. For a comfortable narcissist-read: much of culture – there is no problem with being a narcissist. It is the air that they breathe. However, for people of faith, it is a serious problem to be addressed and only people of faith continue to push this rock uphill. Internal narcissism is a spiritual condition in need of a spiritual remedy.

But herein lies the problem. To fight the battle against “fascination with oneself”, where is it we go to fight the battle? To ourselves. To wage war against the decaying effects of internal narcissism it seems that we have to be imbued with a measure of self-love and fascination with oneself, i.e. narcissism, to even give it a go. Are we then running the risk of fighting the devil within us with devilish tools?

I think that we can begin to work our way toward an answer by thinking about flight safety instructions – you know – the ones we never pay attention to as we thumb though our sticky Sky Mall catalogue. There has always been one instruction that is given that is perhaps the most counter-intuitive of all instructions and it goes roughly like this: “In the event of a sudden decrease in air pressure or oxygen, your oxygen masks will automatically fall on your head.” (Or something like that). So far so good. But it is the next line that has always bugged me. “If you are travelling with an infant or small child, make sure you put your mask on first and get the flow of oxygen going before you assist your child.” I know of no parent, even a narcissistic one, that isn’t troubled by that scenario. The thought of me calmly inhaling life-giving oxygen while my precious child is thrashing about next to me, turning blue and questioning with his or her little eyes: “Why Daddy? Why are you so selfish? Why are you thinking of yourself first? And Daddy, why, oh why are you so….what is the word (cough, cough, gasp) …narcissistic?” - is unnerving.

The wisdom of the airline in giving this instruction is simple. If you lose the parent you lose the child. An unconscious mom or dad is of no use to the little one. Thus, a “save yourself first” mandate makes perfect sense.

Can this idea of “saving yourself first” – the ultimate expression of a narcissist – be a legitimate pursuit of the Christian? The answer is yes. There is an extremely self-centered aspect of being a Christian that is the prerequisite for doing others any good. Without the understanding and practice of this God-bidden call to self-interest, we will be useless to God, useless to the world and useless – ultimately- to ourselves.

This is one of the many paradoxes of the Christian faith. Jesus said that the greatest commands go along the lines of: “(1) Love the Lord your God with all of your heart, soul, mind and strength; and, (2) love your neighbor as (3) you love yourself.” While we may not fully practice the first command, we can at least understand what Jesus is getting at. And the second one, to love our neighbors is a fine idea agreed upon by many even outside the Christian faith. But, it is that last part, number 3 that plays with our minds. What does it mean to love our neighbors as we love ourselves? Might I suggest that our failure to understand, much less practice the latter, could be one of the reasons Christianity has lost a substantial amount of its influence? Could it be that our lack of self-love (our lack of narcissism) makes the second command – to love our neighbors – absolutely impossible? Could it be that we have been trying to place the oxygen mask in the wrong order – hoping to help or “fix” others before we ourselves have had a good snort of clean air? Could be…could be…

We’ll pick up here next time... Be well blessed.