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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: Faith Challenges

schadenfreude

George 0 Comments

The German word “schadenfreude” means experiencing satisfaction from someone else’s misfortune.

During a year and a half pandemic coupled with an cultural environment in which differences of opinion morphed into hardened ideologies. Incapable of hearing other voices. and clothed in our respective rightness, we justify whatever means we chose to resist and combat the evils being foisted upon us. I cannot recall any period in my life (with the exception of Alabama- Auburn loyalties) that resulted in such division, even hatred.

As Thomas Paine famously said, “These are the times that try men’s souls.”  In-deed that is the case, particularly for Christ followers. We are in living in a crucible that tests our faith to its depths.

The “trying ” of my soul has revealed a disturbing presence of “schadenfreude—”experiencing satisfaction from someone else’s misfortune.” Several have recently written about the prevalence of schadenfreude. You can read some –HERE , HERE , HERE.

My encounter with schadenfreude is not overt but subtle. It has occurred in reflection on circumstances of those experiencing misfortune as a result of decisions contrary to my opinions/beliefs. In moments of honest introspection, I realize that I experience pleasant satisfaction of others’ misfortune. The fact that I am restrained from expressing my satisfaction publicly is encouraging, but the truth is plain, there’s within me an undeniable schadenfreude impulse.

This realization is troubling. As a Christ follower, I believe “schadenfreude” is not a fruit of the Holy Spirit nor does it reflect the mind of Christ. Its presence reveals sin which thrives in the shadows of my soul. A sin which cannot be absolved by sin management i.e. restraint in speaking or acting out. Overcoming “schadenfreude” requires the transcendent power of God.

Celebration of other’s misfortune is not unusual, in fact, for most of us it comes easily and is consistent with our highly competitive and individualistic culture. Opponents’ demise is the desired outcome. Victory, even if it comes as result of our opponents bad luck, is always occasion for celebration, a fulfillment of our wishes (or prayers?) that they— “get what they deserve” et al. The opportunity to be proved right and to say, or, at a minimum, think “I told you so” is delicious. Dramatic polarization in our society has elevated “schadenfreude” to normal.

…yes, the environment in which Christians exist, never perfect, is much more hostile now than it was.
But it’s also the case that Christians are an equally dangerous adversary to ourselves. Far too many of us have little to no sense of our owt failings, and our own collaboration with the world.
Rod Dreher

When you start mocking instead of persuading, you signal that you now view someone as an enemy to be defeated, rather than a person to be persuaded…the key to all sin against another is to first dehumanize them…then label them…you have to convince yourself that the other no longer possesses the image of God and God wants them gone as well…we’re all getting too good at this…
Phoenix Preacher

The presence of Schadenfreude reveals sin that is deeper “than “missing the mark” —moral failure — a mistake. It isn’t a mistake. It is a power that can reign and rule my mind and body, forcing you me obey, having dominion over me; a false god to whom I give idolatrous allegiance. Defying sin management, schadenfreude’s antidote is found in Romans 6: “…present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and your members to God as instruments for righteousness. For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace.” [Adapted from Richard Beck’s post ]

If these thoughts haven’t caused you to rethink any impulse to celebrate the misfortune of others, and you are convinced that justice should prevail. then consider this passage from proverbs:

Do not gloat when your enemy falls; when they stumble do not let your heart rejoice, or the LORD will see and disapprove and turn his wrath away from them (Proverbs 24:17-18).

Still on the journey.

Cost Benefit Analysis

George 0 Comments

““Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Won’t you first sit down and estimate the cost to see if you have enough money to complete it?”
Luke 14:28 NIV

The subject “Cost Benefit Analysis” has been a draft post for many months. It is one of those subjects that crossed my mind and I made a note to write about. As I have ruminated on it at various times, I concluded Cost Benefit Analysis’ meaning and application, like a lot of things in our society, has experienced significant change.

A cost-benefit analysis is a process businesses [and individuals] use to analyze decisions. The business or analyst sums the benefits of a situation or action and then subtracts the costs associated with taking that action. 

https://www.investopedia.com/terms/c/cost-benefitanalysis.asp

I believe Cost Benefit Analysis (CBA)is a broadly relevant. CBA is a decision making tool that we all use, whether in a formal way or intuitively as we are faced with decisions on a daily basis. Asking ourselves ,”What do I have to lose?” or “How much should I pay..?” require some level of CBA to answer.

My formal CBA experience came at Ford. In that context, it was more about cost than benefits. Cost is paramount in manufacturing, an entire accounting department was devoted to Cost Analysis. As an assembly plant cost determines success. Although the company’s ultimate success depended on profitability, a plant’s viability was determined by cost performance. In reality, there were other factors, product quality, healthy employee relationships to name a couple. The Ford culture of that day, was characterized by a management philosophy based on control and accountability. A plant manger’s performance was primarily measured on his ability to drive down costs.

That myopic approach fostered organizational dysfunction. Irrational cost reductions, particularly in manpower, resulted in diminished product quality and gaslit an already adversarial environment. Ford’s reliance on that management philosophy led to the company to the brink of failure and extinction.
To over simplify, Ford recognized that there is more to success as a company than controlling costs. Through a complex process of deconstruction and renovation Ford survived.

The Ford experience was tunnel vision… The habit or tendency to only see or focus on a single priority while neglecting or ignoring other important priorities. A good tool, cost benefit analysis offers opportunity for making informed decisions and improving performance, but when utilized with tunnel vision for cost, results can be disastrous. I naively thought analysis was intended to compare all costs and other factors to determine the best decision, when in fact analysis was to identify and reduce costs. The end game was cost reduction, decisions to reduce cost won out. It was true that Cost was a problem, but it was not the problem.

To get to my point, as stated earlier, everyone does some sort of cost benefit analysis when making a decision. Its effectiveness as a tool is determined by one’s ability to avoid tunnel vision and consider competing priorities. When a single priority prevails, analysis will always support its achievement. I am of the opinion that the calculus in cost benefit analysis, tracking societal changes, has changed dramatically, and has produced a condition analogous to Ford. The difference being, benefits predominates rather than cost. Evidence for this change, at least anecdotally, can be be found in any conversation between generations or a with person struggling with addiction. The most important factor is the benefit to be derived. Not to say cost is ignored, but the consumeristic ethos will bias any analysis in such a way that the desired benefit will be justified.

Possessing tunnel vision for self-interest, we are faced with dire consequences. The perceived value of our desired ends most often exceeds any costs to be incurred. Extremism demands victory, no matter the cost. Materialistic sensibilities may well restrain us when monetary/ material costs are high, but disenchantment ignores or minimizes emotional, relational, spiritual, social and environmental cost, rendering CBA an ineffective tool.

This issue is epidemic. its cuts across all segments of society. Most disappointing is that Christians are not an exception.

…the fundamental materialism of our consumerist, hedonistic society is profoundly anti-Christian. 

Rod Dreher

“Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too. You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had.”
Philippians? 2:3-5 NLT

Cost benefit analysis is needed more than ever. Clear-eyed analysis of our lives will will reveal the cost of benefits to be for more than we could imagine.

“And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul? Is anything worth more than your soul?”
Mark 8:36-37 NLT

My understanding of Jesus’ warning always related to salvation, eternal life, but I think it is deeper and more profound than that. Interestingly “soul” is footnoted as “self”. Peterson catches this in his paraphrase, “What good would it do to get everything you want and lose you, the real you? What could you ever trade your soul for?” MSG

For us salvation-assured Christians, with our “get out of jail free card”, we embrace consumeristic materialism all the while using Jesus’ warning as leverage on unbelievers. Is it any wonder why people are confused about what it means to be a Christian?

“Then, calling the crowd to join his disciples, he said, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me. If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake and for the sake of the Good News, you will save it.”

While eternal life is not in jeopardy … “a rich and satisfying life.” that Jesus promised is.

Still on the journey.


Heading Out or Holding On (2)

George 0 Comments

In my previous post, reflecting on my sermon from 2004, I realized how relevant it is today. Although circumstances are different, 2004 and 2020 each have brought crisis into our lives. As my good friend reminded me:

…for CRISIS… the Chinese term for that has 2 characters…
– danger; – opportunity! (Thanks Eva)

In 2020/2021 crisis brings great danger and great opportunity. The question is how will we respond? In my experience, when crisis arises, personally or organizationally, our default is to hold on. To choose otherwise depends upon our ability to discern both danger and opportunity in our crisis.
To hold on, is a natural response … necessary for survival. However, without any vision for opportunity, holding on paralyzes, delaying the enviable. Referencing my sermon notes this post will examine what I believe it means to hold on and some perils of choosing to do so..

In the twilight of my career at Ford, I attempted to mentor a promising young manager. My usual greeting was, “How are you doing?”. His repeated response was, “Surviving!” Without much success, I tried impress on him, surviving doesn’t bode well for climbing the corporate ladder. Perhaps we don’t think of our response to crisis as holding on as much as surviving. To hold on or survive is a difference without distinction. Neither bode well for the future. The following are outcomes of choosing to hold on… survive.

  • Denial.– Emotional disbelief, “This can’t be happening”, can morph into irrational “This isn’t happening.” and, for some, becomes unassailable truth. In any case, denial assures one of two outcomes: destruction or irrelevance.
    Denial is like stopping your car on a a busy freeway with traffic going 70 mph.
    For organizations, denial is a Blockbuster strategy.
  • Hunker Down – A panic response to inherent danger. Seemingly, rational, in retrospect its flaws are revealed. Think of “Heads Up” when dangerous objects are descending, or “Hit the Deck” falling spread eagle on the ground making oneself at better target.
    For organizations it is “circle the wagons”.
    Biblically it is the one talent man. “… I was afraid and went out and hid your talent in the ground.”
  • Avoidance– Relocate and yearn for what was.  A “Jonah” response.
    “The word of the Lord came to Jonah [crisis]…’Go to the great city of Nineveh and preach against it …’ But Jonah ran away from the Lord and headed for Tarshish.” …”I’m out of here!”.
    For those with nowhere to go, it is “sticking your head in the sand”.
    Organizationally it is the urban church that relocates to the suburbs when faced with societal crisis.
  • Despair – toss in the towel and admit defeat . Elijah: “Lord, they have killed your prophets and torn down your altars; I am the only one left, and they are trying to kill me”
    “Whatever”…”What’s the use?” … “You can’t believe anyone.”…
    Hopelessness is a child of failure to perceive opportunity in crisis.

In these times of unprecedented crisis, I have recognize these outcomes, to varying degrees, in both myself and others. This is troubling because I believe God does not want me to Hold On but, Head Out, responding creatively to crisis with its dangers and opportunities.

The next post… Heading Out.