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“You are going to feel like hell if you never write the stuff that is tugging on the sleeves of your heart — your stories, visions, memories, visions and songs. Your truth, your version of things, your own voice. That is really all you have to offer us. And that’s also why you were born.”
Anne Lamott

“You are going to feel like hell if you never write the stuff that is tugging on the sleeves of your heart — your stories, visions, memories, visions and songs. Your truth, your version of things, your own voice. That is really all you have to offer us. And that’s also why you were born.”
Anne Lamott

Category: Tyranny

Tyranny- Cost Benefit Analysis

George 2 Comments

Convinced a “Jesus said” argument against tyranny is not persuasive, even for Christians. This post will attempt to persuade using cost/benefit analysis; “fighting fire with fire”.

It has occurred to me that the word tyranny may be off-putting for some, thinking it personally irrelevant. Let me disabuse that idea… as fallen humans we all desire to be god — tyrants, abusing power, control and authority to exercise our will over others.

BENEFIT

Tyranny is EFFECTIVE
Tyranny always works. If desired results are change, movement, attention, fear, chaos, confusion, compliance, obedience, conformity; abusive exercise of power and control is the answer.
It satisfies,
“something has to be done”
“better to do something than nothing”
“righteous anger”
“need to control”
It is justifiable,
“the end justifies means”
“this hurts me more than you’
“only because I love you”
“sometimes you just have to shake things up”

The calm voice at the helm says, “Make it so…” and with it, the mantra of modernity is invoked. The philosophy that governs our culture is rooted in violence, the ability to make things happen and to control the outcome. It is a deeply factual belief. We can indeed make things happen, and, in a limited way, control their outcome.
Fr Stephen Freeman

…we soon discover (and have proven it time and again) that our ability to control is quite limited. Many, many unforeseeable consequences flow from every action.

Perhaps consequences are not so much unforeseeable as they are hidden, masked by rationalization —
“It didn’t work as well as I thought, but just think how bad it would have been otherwise..”

COST

Human capacity – Potential

Tyranny inherently establishes upper limits. Demands are quantified to control and punish. Tyrants always calculate demands against risk of failure, rebellion or worse. Assuming achieving the demand is a possibility, threats, coercion, violence, fear will accomplish the goal. Unless additional pressure is applied, no goal will ever be exceeded. Because tyrants assume others incompetent and weak, they have no comprehension of the potential of what a person can do, mentally or physically. Imposition of tyranny will never experience full potential of human capacity.

Human capacity – Nuance

“Tyranny is the deliberate removal of nuance.” –Albert Maysles
Albert meant that tyranny was an attempt to remove thoughtfulness, creativity, and self-expression from society (often through physical oppression) at the expense of originality. Nuance is simply subtle differences in interpretation or expression, and tyranny is almost uniformly obsessed with uniformity 1https://quotesexplained.com/tyranny-is-the-deliberate-removal-of-nuance-albert-maysles/

A subset of human capacity, nuance —virtue, thoughtfulness, creativity, and self-expression—, is what makes us uniquely human. Its loss is tyranny’s highest cost, our humanity.
Tyranny is the ethos of powers and principalities, a Faustian bargain that costs our souls.

Jesus said, “…you are not to be like that…”

ITS UP TO YOU, CALCULATE THE COST / BENEFIT…

STILL ON THE JOURNEY

  • 1
    https://quotesexplained.com/tyranny-is-the-deliberate-removal-of-nuance-albert-maysles/

Tyranny – Yes, But…

George 0 Comments

‘Jesus said to them, “The kings of the Gentiles lord it over them; and those who exercise authority over them call themselves Benefactors. But you are not to be like that. Instead, the greatest among you should be like the youngest, and the one who rules like the one who serves. Luke 22:25-26

Recent conversations and further pondering about tyranny have delayed writing a cost/benefit analysis of tyranny. Maybe next time.

Conclusions regarding Luke22:25-26:

  • When Jesus says “…kings of the Gentiles lord it over them…” he is describing tyranny :cruel, unreasonable, or arbitrary use of power or control.
  • Jesus is unequivocal about what that means for his disciples —you are not to be like that. Full stop!
  • The only alternative Jesus presents is :…”the greatest among you should be like be like the youngest, and the one who rules like the one who serves”…

I am not a Biblical scholar and a proper exegesis of the passage could very well alter my understanding. I welcome any input. Until then, I continue to preach the “truth”. Tyranny is not an option for Christ followers. Our only option is Jesus’ way: …be like the youngest, and the one who rules like the one who serves“; which, for me, requires more understanding.

In recent conversation with several men, I had the opportunity to “preach”, asserting much of what I wrote in this POST about tyranny.
Recalling the conversation, I stated without qualification “lord it over” is not an option for Christ followers.
Responses came quickly. No one voiced objection to “lord it over” not being an option. What I heard was —YES, but..

In a society (church) where men assume authority, power and control is a birthright, if not a requirement to be a man; excluding “lord it over” is incomprehensible.
Christians’ (not just men) mitigation of Jesus’ “…you are not to be like that…” reveals the leverage principalities and powers have on our lives. Choosing power and control is the default for tyrants.

What I heard was not surprising. The “but’s”1 BUT- except, excepting, besides, beside, other than, except for, excluding, saving, bar, outside, apart from, barring, save, exclusive of, outside of, aside from were familiar, echoing my own sentiments when wrestling with no lording it over. Disagreement was encouraging , only wrestling with Jesus will reveal truth and show us the way.

Yes Jesus … not so among us … BUT…

… Yes, but Jesus used power

My knee-jerk response is.. We are not Jesus

“There is worldly power, which Jesus eschewed, but there is also a holy power, brought by the Spirit.”2The Scandal of Leadership: Unmasking the Powers of Domination in the Church by JR Woodward

Jesus’s acts with power in the gospels. Jesus doesn’t just empathize with people, he heals them, power flows out of him. Jesus also calms storms and multiplies loaves and fishes. Jesus loves, yes, but he also has power. And yes, the Son dies in solidarity with victims on the cross, but the Father raises the Son in the power of the Holy Spirit, thereby defeating the powers of sin and death.

Yes Jesus exercised power. however, conflating Jesus’ use of power with our use of power blasphemes the unfathomable mystery of an omnipotent God.
God’s omnipotence (divine power) is problematic, full of controversy; a gateway to theodicy, problems of suffering, pain, and evil. Combined with prevailing skepticism that power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely; any notion of using Jesus as an example to justify “lording over” makes no sense.

God does not exercise top-down power and control from on high. God doesn’t “lord over” the world. The power of God works in the opposite direction, from the bottom-up. God’s power is the power of the cross, the power of weakness and powerlessness, the power of loving servanthood and self-giving. 3Richard Beck

We quite simply don’t have the power to follow any gospel ideal—such as loving others, forgiving enemies, living simply and nonviolently, or humble use of power—except in and through union with God. 4 Richard Rohr

… Yes, but power must be done in love.

In other words, it is OK to “lord it over” if it’s done in love.
I believe everything is to be done in love.
Follow God’s example, therefore, as dearly loved children and walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. Eph. 5:1-2
But.. “Lording over” in love is a non sequitur.
“lording over” is an unholy power — the spirituality of principalities and powers— Because of its nefarious nature it cannot be done in love.

To “lord over” in love is a euphemism for being likable. In each context 5My name is George – I am a tyrant. 
> Taught at home and church to be a man. 
> Indoctrinated by Ford Motor Company to be a manager. 
> Appointed deacon and elder in the church.  where abusive power and control yielded damage, the remedy was not to abandon “lording over” but to become a benevolent tyrant.
No one seemed to expect me not to be a tyrant, they just wanted me to be nicer.
As Jesus said ” …those who exercise authority over them call themselves Benefactors.” If he looks like.. acts like.. walks like.. talks like… leads like a tyrant.. he’s a tyrant. No amount of perfume will remove evil, you only smell better.
“…each of us will either follow the scandalous way Jesus led or become a scandal. There is no neutral ground.” 6The Scandal of Leadership: Unmasking the Powers of Domination in the Church by JR Woodward

“..you are not to be like that.”

Yes but….someone has to take charge.

Frustration with circumstances in need of correction generates the impulse to take charge. Believing Jesus’ way to be weak and ineffectual, woke; it is clear — someone has to take charge, something must be done. The only option is to assume power and take control.
Jesus’ “not so among you” is equivalent to “It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God” and is as shocking today as then for his disciples.

Jesus’ answer is the same today as it was then: “With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God.”

God reigns and rules through an invasion of love.
And if God’s power ever looked otherwise, or to expect something otherwise, it wouldn’t be the God revealed to us in Jesus Christ. True, in the face of suffering we might want a different sort of God, and that’s fine, we can refuse to confess Jesus as Lord and say that we’d rather God set the world to rights by something other than love.
We can worship some other vision of power, some other God, Lord or Kingdom.

Richard Beck

STILL ON THE JOURNEY

  • 1
    BUT- except, excepting, besides, beside, other than, except for, excluding, saving, bar, outside, apart from, barring, save, exclusive of, outside of, aside from
  • 2
    The Scandal of Leadership: Unmasking the Powers of Domination in the Church by JR Woodward
  • 3
    Richard Beck
  • 4
    Richard Rohr
  • 5
    My name is George – I am a tyrant. 
    > Taught at home and church to be a man. 
    > Indoctrinated by Ford Motor Company to be a manager. 
    > Appointed deacon and elder in the church. 
  • 6
    The Scandal of Leadership: Unmasking the Powers of Domination in the Church by JR Woodward

Tyranny — Ruminations

George 0 Comments

tyranny :cruel, unreasonable, or arbitrary use of power or control.

I’ve given a lot of thought to tyranny since my previous post. Here are some ruminations before sharing a cost/benefit analysis .

Tyranny is the default of fallen humans, an endless redux of our desire to be in control… deja vu the Garden of Eden. Choosing to be in control and become God.

Anyone who has had a two-year old child has met a tyrant.

Tyranny: is a vice.
 “If any point in political theory is indisputable, it would seem to be that tyranny is the worst corruption of government – a vicious misuse of power and a violent abuse of human beings who are subject to it.1Adler, Mortimer J., ed. (1952). “95: Tyranny”. Great Books of the Western World. Vol. 3: The Great Ideas: II. Chicago: Encyclopedia Britannica.

In my experience, I’ve never met anyone who admitted being a tyrant. However, most people, including myself, endorse the use of power and control. of course my use of power and control is never cruel, unreasonable, or arbitrary.

My name is George – I am a tyrant.
> Taught at home and church to be a man.
> Indoctrinated by Ford Motor Company to be a manager.
> Appointed deacon and elder in the church.

In each context, authority, power and control were presumed and expected to be used. Despite Jesus’ declaration “…not so among you…” most of my life the hammer in my tool box has been power and control (tyranny). To my credit, my first impulse has been benevolence —  …” rulers call themselves everyone’s friends”… 2 Luke22 – CEV Deluded by echoes of praise— ‘nice guy” “good boss” great husband/father” “wonderful elder”—, Jesus’ words didn’t apply to me.
In recent years, searching for God stripped those illusions away and revealed the truth about myself. As a man, husband, father, manager, elder there has been failures (why didn’t I say sin?).

Experiencing tyranny as being demonstrated in our country, I have responded David-like:  “..the people who are doing this must be stopped! They must pay four times over, because they are doing such things without pity.” 32 Sam 12, my paraphrase . Thankfully, a serious examination of tyranny resulted, yielding two judgements :
1) Tranny is morally wrong.
2) Nathan (Jesus?) spoke to me: “You are the man! Why did you despise the word of the Lord by doing what is evil in his eyes?“42 Sam 12:7,9

Naked and ashamed I am connecting dots between power and control (tyranny) and sin. Remembering more notable failures, each was an occasion where I chose to exercise power and control rather than submit to God’s will.
Choosing to “despise” Jesus’ command, my exercise of power and control inflicted its toll on others and dishonored Jesus.

There are real problems in our country and choosing tyranny should not come as a surprise, it is the default of fallen humanity. What is more distressing are Christians embracing tyranny as the solution, a clear refutation of “not so among you”.
Tyranny is the nexus of the wide road to destruction and the hard narrow way to life.
“Go in through the narrow gate, because the gate to hell is wide and the road that leads to it is easy, and there are many who travel it. But the gate to life is narrow and the way that leads to it is hard, and there are few people who find it.” 5Matthew 7:13-14 GNT

“I want to serve God with all my heart and mind, but am pulled by the influence of sin to do something totally different.”

Romans 7:25 MSG

There is a third judgement: All of us are tyrants!
??“What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death?”

“Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord! 6Romans 7:24-25 NIV

Because of my skepticism that “Jesus said” will be persuasive, even for Christians, the next post will attempt to make reasonable arguments against tyranny using cost/benefit analysis.

STILL ON THE JOURNEY

  • 1
    Adler, Mortimer J., ed. (1952). “95: Tyranny”. Great Books of the Western World. Vol. 3: The Great Ideas: II. Chicago: Encyclopedia Britannica.
  • 2
     Luke22 – CEV
  • 3
    2 Sam 12, my paraphrase
  • 4
    2 Sam 12:7,9
  • 5
    Matthew 7:13-14 GNT
  • 6
    Romans 7:24-25 NIV