OPINIONS VII
ELDERS
“…I am weary with holding in: I will pour it out upon the children abroad, and upon the assembly of young men together: for even the husband with the wife shall be taken, the aged with him that is full of days. And their houses shall be turned unto others, with their fields and wives together: for I will stretch out my hand upon the inhabitants of the land, saith the Lord. For from the least of them even unto the greatest of them every one is given to covetousness; and from the prophet even unto the priest every one dealeth falsely. They have healed also the hurt of the daughter of my people slightly, saying, Peace, peace; when there is no peace.” –Jeremiah 6:11-14
The concept of “leaven” mentioned at the end of my last essay needs further consideration in relation to the role “elders” play in society.
Apparently the oldest definitions of “leaven” come from the Latin meaning “alleviation” or “mitigation.” Later usage has had more to do with “lifting” or “causing to rise.” Of course for centuries we have used “leaven” in relation to bread-making. Thus bread dough may be caused to rise through mechanical processes, such as the injection of steam or air, through chemical processes such as introducing baking powder or soda, and through biological processes such as the adding of yeast. The effect is to fill the dough with tiny spaces, which in the end, makes the baked bread lighter, more pleasant to the eye and taste. This desired effect is spoiled if the dough is not allowed to rise, is allowed to rise too high, or the leavening agent is tainted in some way.
Since the Exodus, Israel has used unleavened bread in conjunction with the Passover feast, commemorating the fact that the Children of Israel had to leave Egypt in haste (no time to let dough rise). To my knowledge, it is in this context that “leaven” is used throughout the Old Testament, with the exception of Hosea 7 where it is given different spiritual connotations.
In the New Testament, Jesus uses “leaven” as a metaphor showing how small things can have large effects, for good or evil (A modern analogy would be the effect hormones or drugs have on the body). Jesus also uses the images of salt, a city on a hill, lit candles and mustard seeds in ways that illustrate the importance of good influence:
“Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men. Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.” –Matt. 5: 13-16
“Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is like to a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, and sowed in his field: Which indeed is the least of all seeds: but when it is grown, it is the greatest among herbs, and becometh a tree, so that the birds of the air come and lodge in the branches thereof. Another parable spake he unto them; The kingdom of heaven is like unto leaven, which a woman took, and hid in three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened.” –Matt. 13:31-33
This of course has specific reference to God’s chosen people, who’s numbers, though relatively few, are meant to have a powerful effect in the world for good if they live so that God can do mighty works through them. On the other hand, if they don’t live up to their privileges, they become that much less valuable, even contemptible, despised and rejected by the world.
The whole idea of being “chosen” has come in question these days, due to the hyper-equal political correctors. In fairness a distinction needs to be made between “chosen” and “elite.” As stated earlier, being chosen by God means being called to extra duty and responsibility. God chooses a prophet and a people to be an ensign to the world, so people have a light and a standard to emulate and use as a guide and point of reference.
But “leaven” can also have negative or sinister connotations. A potent modicum of evil can have powerful, broad and long-term damaging effects:
“And when his disciples were come to the other side, they had forgotten to take bread. Then Jesus said unto them, Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees. And they reasoned among themselves, saying, It is because we have taken no bread. Which when Jesus perceived, he said unto them…. How is it that ye do not understand that I spake it not to you concerning bread, that ye should beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees? Then understood they how that he bade them not beware of the leaven of bread, but of the doctrine of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees.” –Matt. 16:5-12
Mark 16:13-21 says essentially the same thing, but refers to the “leaven” of Harod as well. In another place Jesus gives fair warning that though we’re convinced our ‘secret sins’ are of no consequence, they will be of huge consequence to us when they are shouted on the housetops on judgment day: hence the “leaven” of hypocrisy:
“…he began to say unto his disciples first of all, Beware ye of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy. For there is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed; neither hid, that shall not be known. Therefore whatsoever ye have spoken in darkness shall be heard in the light; and that which ye have spoken in the ear in closets shall be proclaimed upon the housetops. And I say unto you my friends, Be not afraid of them that kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do. But I will forewarn you whom ye shall fear: Fear him, which after he hath killed hath power to cast into hell; yea, I say unto you, Fear him.” -Luke 12:1-5
The “leaven” of doctrine is crucial. Ideas are powerful things. Wars are fought over ideas and beliefs, whether true or false. It is therefore a fit metaphor the Apostle Paul uses suggesting that little things like glorying and malice vs sincerity and truthfulness represent “leavens” that make one’s devotions valid or not valid before God. In another place he warns, if leaven is left to raise too much (glorying, or pride, causing us to become “puffed up,”) the loaf is disfigured and not as suitable for human consumption:
“Your glorying is not good. Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump? Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us: Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.” -1 Cor. 5:6-8
“Now as touching things offered unto idols, we know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge puffeth up, but charity edifieth.” –1 Cor. 8:1
“Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up,” –1 Cor 13:4
Another significant aspect of the metaphor of bread is that we internalize it. So if the bread we eat (doctrine we believe) is wholesome, it does us good, if it’s tainted it does us ill, and once internalized (as with poison) our condition may become very difficult to remedy.
What does all this have to do with “elders?” The elders are always few relative to whole populations. The leaders, the movers and shakers, though few, have a profound effect on the whole for good or evil.
In answer to the question raised in an earlier essay, ‘who can judge?’ generally it should be “the elders.” With them should be the wisdom, should be the experience. And not only judge, they should also teach, guide, and mentor, lighting the way for the rest of us. Obviously, to the extent that they fail in these roles, society falters and falls:
“Let them alone: they be blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch.” –Matt. 15:14
Leadership is an illusive concept. Certainly leaders are independent thinkers. They have a dream, a well-defined conception of what they want for themselves and others. Leaders need to be able to communicate that dream to others in a way that motivates them to buy into and work for the dream’s realization. Beyond these basic characteristics we begin to make distinctions between what we consider to be “good” and “bad” leaders.
Specialists research, write and teach about the secrets of leading effectively in sales, business, politics, the ministry, the military and just about every other facet of modern life. Interestingly, scholars have not agreed on just what constitutes a true leader, especially when particular circumstances are considered (Leonard R. Sayles, Leadership—What Effective Managers Really Do…And How They Do It, San Francisco: McGraw-Hill, 1979, p.211)
There is much talk about “leadership styles,” which are supposed to vary according to conditions. An important distinction is often made between “managers” and “leaders,” though the terms are often interchangeable. Managers are said to push people around. Their motto is “Do it or else….” Leaders are characterized as more inclined to persuasion. They set the example, show the way, encourage, inspire. The latter, of course, is more in line with the “Good Shepherd” approach we’ve already discussed.
In my lifetime, I believe there has been a shift in leader/manager emphasis corresponding with a shift in popular values. In my youth, businesses were considered private property, and how owners ran them was their business and no one else’s. They could hire and fire at will, and without reason. If you were lucky enough to work for a kind and benevolent boss, great, if not, well, ‘that was life.’ Private enterprise was private. Business owners could deny service to customers without fear of reprisal or repercussion (other than losing a customer’s patronage). The majority of businesses were privately owned, whereas today many more are incorporated.
The labor unions had grown large and powerful when I was young, and they were probably right in blunting much of the hard-nosed business practices that had prevailed. But the unions also had a lot to do with many companies shutting down and relocating beyond US borders. This, of course has meant the loss of hundreds of thousands of good-paying jobs in the States.
“…Do violence to no man, neither accuse any falsely; and be content with your wages.” -Luke 3:14
Then too, I watched the rise of litigious-ness. Lawyers started suing businesses more and more for less and less cause, and winning previously unheard-of settlements. This paralleled the rise of “professionalism,” which had a lot to do with companies growing ever more cautious and “proper,” documenting everything in order to be “covered” in case of legal action. This trend has gone on to our current “litigious society,” with its “political correctness,” and concurrent threats to freedom, including our Bill of Rights.
These developments occurred in context of the wealth and affluence that followed the post-World-War-II economic boom. We had become “puffed up.” We still had the work ethic left over from our Pilgrim and Puritan heritage, but now we took pride in being “workaholics.” The pace of life quickened, as reflected in media like the James Bond movies. Mothers left home to work and keep up with their neighbors. Focus turned away from home and community toward careers. Everybody needed to have a “profession,” and everyone had to be “professional.” Jobs had to have professional titles. Janitors became Maintenance Engineers….
“Professionalism” became an appealing label for ever-more intense and hostile game-playing. Home-grown trust, loyalty, courtesy and kindness declined. Everybody got more ambitions, slick and clever. This even affected international relations.
Foreign Aid, which was a wonderful thing after WW II, got sloppy. We weren’t as careful about which regimes we sent aid too. As long as a country’s leaders were friendly to our leaders, they got the “dough,” which in many cases never actually reached the “hungry.” Espionage was the new and better approach to promoting many of our interests abroad. We thought we were so advanced and brilliant, that we could manipulate our “backward friends” covertly. Instead of being the most blessed, we were now ‘the richest and most powerful nation in the world.’ Of course the US President became the ‘most powerful man in the world.’
The office of US President was no longer seen as representing something sacred and holy, namely a nation of free and responsible citizens under God; instead it became a coveted prize given to ultimate winners of “the game.” The President not only had to be a supreme political strategist, but also good-looking, and even sexy. John Kennedy embodied all of this, and his contrast to Eisenhower represented a significant turning point in what a majority of Americans expected of their “Elders.”
As game-playing became more and more dominant, leaders who could “dodge bullets” and “neutralize enemies” came to be in high demand. Former leaders who were plain and sober, but wise, benevolent, apt to teach, and grounded at home were less sought-after. The modern world wanted attractive, dynamic leaders who were charismatic, long on resume’ and promises, if short on wisdom and genuine humanity. More books were written and seminars given on leadership. Journalism, Public Relations, Advertising and Marketing, not to mention Politics became huge industries.
The artifice of telling people what they wanted to hear, replaced the higher call of telling the people the truth. Buying votes and exchanging favors replaced winning the minds and hearts of citizens with honest arguments in establishing policies, practices and laws that were sound and beneficial.
Actually how well a society functions is one measure of its leaders. Is the economy fiscally sound? Are the people secure in their persons and property? What is the proportion of rich to poor; how large is the gap between them? How well-educated are the people? How much crime is there, and how is it dealt-with? Is the justice system fair, equitable and accessible? Are there sufficient jobs of appropriate quality? Is the infrastructure adequate and well maintained? Is national defense at an appropriate level of readiness? Is the environment respected and protected? Are natural resources conserved and wisely utilized? Is disaster preparedness sufficient and disaster response effective? Are the people rational, responsible, humane, involved, honorable, loyal and patriotic?
Much of this comes back to the issue of what gets rewarded and what gets penalized in a society, which in-turn touches on the agenda and direction that society’s “Elders” establish.
As suggested earlier, attending to the poor and needy involves more than just giving them money and commodities. They need to have real opportunity and they need to be taught the skills and behaviors that make it possible and probable for them to cope with life. This includes elements of motivation and discipline that today’s permissive society won’t countenance. So we throw money and commodities at people and nothing gets better; But things not getting better doesn’t mean they can’t get better. Here are some quotes about the poor and needy, with most of the “blame” veering toward those who are better-off (the Elders):
“Thou shalt not wrest the judgment of thy poor in their cause.” –Ex. 23:6
“If there be among you a poor man of one of thy brethren within any of thy gates in thy land which the Lord thy God giveth thee, thou shalt not harden thine heart, nor shut thine hand from thy poor brother:…. Thou shalt surely give him, and thine heart shall not be grieved when thou givest unto him: because that for this thing the Lord thy God shall bless thee in all thy works, and in all that thou puttest thine hand unto. for the poor shall never cease out of the land: therefore I command thee, saying, Thou shalt open thine hand wide unto thy brother, to thy poor, and to thy needy, in thy land.” –Deut. 15:7-11
“Why, seeing times are not hidden from the Almighty, do they that know him not see his days? Some remove the landmarks; they violently take away flocks, and feed thereof. They drive away the ass of the fatherless, they take the widow’s ox for a pledge. They turn the needy out of the way: the poor of the earth hide themselves together…. They cause the naked to lodge without clothing, that they have no covering in the cold…. They pluck the fatherless from the breast, and take a pledge of the poor. they cause him to go naked without clothing, and they take away the sheaf from the hungry…. They are of those that rebel against the light; they know not the ways thereof, nor abide in the paths thereof. The murderer rising with the light killeth the poor and needy, and in the night is as a theif. The eye also of the adulterer waiteth for the twilight, saying, No eye shall see me; and disguiseth his face. In the dark they dig through houses, which they had marked for themselves in the daytime: they know not the light. For the morning is to them even as the shadow of death: if one know them, they are in the terrors of the shadow of death…. The womb shall forget him; the worm shall feed sweetly on him; he shall be no more remembered; and wickedness shall be broken as a tree…. He draweth also the mighty with his power: he riseth up, and no man is sure of life…. They are exalted for a little while, but are gone and brought low; they are taken out of the way as all other, and cut off as the tops of the ears of corn.” –Job. 20
“Why standest thou afar off, O Lord? why hidest thou thyself in times of trouble? The wicked in his pride doth persecute the poor: let them be taken in the devices that they have imagined. For the wicked boasteth of his heart’s desire, and blesseth the covetous, whom the Lord abhorreth. The wicked, through the pride of his countenance, will not seek after God: God is not in all his thoughts. His ways are always grievous; thy judgments are far above out of his sight: as for all his enemies, he puffeth at them. He hath said in his heart, I shall not be moved: for I shall never be in adversity. His mouth is full of cursing and deceit and fraud: under his tongue is mischief and vanity. He sitteth in the lurking places of the villages: in the secret places doth he murder the innocent: his eyes are privily set against the poor. He lieth in wait secretly as a lion in his den: he lieth in wait to catch the poor: he doth catch the poor, when he draweth him into his net. He croucheth, and humbleth himself, that the poor may fall by his strong ones. he hath said in his heart God hath fogotten: he hideth his face; he will never see it.” –Psalms 10:1-11
“The Lord shall cut off all flattering lips, and the tongue that speaketh proud things: Who have said, With our tongue will we prevail; our lips are our own: who is lord over us? For the oppression of the poor, for the sighing of the needy, now will I arise, saith the Lord; I will set him in safety from him that puffeth at him.” –Ps 12:3-5
Now we see “puff” in a related, but different light. This is like our modern “huff and puff.” Here the Lord is against the loud-mouthed breather of hot-air, who flatters or intimidates the weak and meek with inflated words. Of course, a puff is just that, hot-air with no more substance than the bully himself has. But with words alone, he gets his way more often than not!
Continuing:
“Rob not the poor, because he is poor: neither oppress the afflicted in the gate. For the lord will plead their cause, and spoil the soul of those that spoiled them.” –Prov. 22:22-23
“As a roaring lion, and a ranging bear; so is a wicked ruler over the poor people. The prince that wanteth understanding is also a great oppressor: but he that hateth covetousness shall prolong his days.” –Prov. 28:15-16
“The Lord will enter into judgment with the ancients of his people, and the princes thereof: for ye have eaten up the vineyard; the spoil of the poor is in your houses. What mean ye that ye beat my people to pieces, and grind the faces of the poor? Saith the Lord God of Hosts.” –Isa.3:14-15
“Woe unto them that decree unrighteous decrees, and that write grievousness which they have prescribed; to turn aside the needy from judgment, and to take away the right from the poor of my people, that widows may be their prey, and that they may rob the fatherless.” –Isa. 10:2
“Wherefore, O king, let my counsel be acceptable unto thee, and break off thy sins by righteousness, and thine iniquities by shewing mercy to the poor; if it may be a lengthening of thy tranquillity.” –Daniel 4:27
“Thus saith the LORD; For three transgressions of Israel, and for four, I will not turn away the punishment thereof; because they sold the righteous for silver, and the poor for a pair of shoes; That pant after the dust of the earth on the head of the poor, and turn aside the way of the meek:….” –Amos 2:6-7
“Thus speaketh the LORD of hosts, saying, Execute true judgment, and shew mercy and compassions every man to his brother: And oppress not the widow, nor the fatherless, the stranger, nor the poor; and let none of you imagine evil against his brother in your heart. But they refused to hearken, and pulled away the shoulder, and stopped their ears, that they should not hear. Yea, they made their hearts as an adamant stone, lest they should hear the law, and the words which the LORD of hosts hath sent in his spirit by the former prophets: therefore came a great wrath from the LORD of hosts. Therefore it is come to pass, that as he cried, and they would not hear; so they cried, and I would not hear, saith the LORD of hosts.” –Zech. 7:9-13
The strong taking advantage of the weak is not just a “Biblical problem.” Here’s something from the Book of Mormon, addressed to us Westerners in these latter days:
“Behold, I speak unto you as if ye were present, and yet ye are not. But behold, Jesus Christ hath shown you unto me, and I know your doing. And I know that ye do walk in the pride of your hearts; and there are none save a few only who do not lift themselves up in the pride of their hearts, unto the wearing of very fine apparel, unto envying, and strife, and malice, and persecutions, and all manner of iniquities; and your churches, yea, even every one, have become polluted because of the pride of your hearts. For behold, ye do love money, and your substance, and your fine apparel, and the adorning of your churches, more than ye love the poor and the needy, the sick and the afflicted…. Why do ye adorn yourselves with that which hath no life, and yet suffer the hungry, and the needy, and the naked, and the sick and the afflicted to pass by you, and notice them not? Yea, why do ye build up your secret abominations to get gain, and cause that widows should mourn before the Lord, and also orphans to mourn before the Lord, and also the blood of their fathers and their husbands to cry unto the Lord from the ground, for vengeance upon your heads? Behold the sword of vengeance hangeth over you; and the time soon cometh that he avengeth the blood of the saints upon you, for he will not suffer their cries any longer.” –Mormon 8:35-41.
Could it be that God is allowing us in the West to be vexed by our enemies because we, as represented by our leaders, have turned our backs on our Judeo-Christian heritage? Sexual permissiveness and violent crime are more visible examples, but what about rampant pride and acquisitiveness? According to many studies, our materialism has risen exponentially over the past 20 years (see Julian Edney’s lengthy, but very eye-opening and disquieting, Greed III, at: http://www.g-r-e-e-d.com/GREED.htm).
Many current leadership seminars and courses offer good information, encouraging honesty, integrity and mutual respect in dealing with subordinates. However, large numbers today, especially of men, see this as superfluous. Reality to them says leadership is just another hard-ball game, and personal toughness with strategic acuity are what really count. In the popular media, leaders are almost always shown to be bombastic, pushy, aggressive and insensitive, or perhaps stupid and inept, thus appealing to the arrogant on one hand, the rebellious on the other. Even Disney, our much-appreciated “family entertainment hold-out,” often puts authority figures in a negative light. Funny as these portrayals may be, if the rising generation sees nothing but this, it certainly will affect their view of real world human relations, and the role “Elders” should play.
If we go back far enough, say to the movies of the 40’s and 50’s we see respectful children and respectable adults: parents, teachers, ministers, policemen, judges, government officials, etc, who are humble, uncomplicated, yet dignified, wise, grave, kind, caring and giving. We see adults and youth working together, caring about each other, loyal to one another. Also we see portrayed a love of and reverence for knowledge, as with professors and teachers like ‘Mr. Chips.’
The element of knowledge gets underrated or ignored altogether in our modern definitions of leadership. To illustrate the knowledge factor, may I suggest a situation in which three men find themselves stranded in a desert.
One man is a bank president, another is a state governor, the third is a desert survival expert. The bank president is bright and widely recognized as a powerful, effective leader, but banking is pretty much all he knows. The governor is a super political strategist, but politics have pretty much been his thing for as far back as he can remember. The survival expert is a shy, meek man, so quiet that people can hardly get a word out of him unless they can get him talking about the desert. No one has ever thought of him as a leader. I ask: in this stranded-in-the-desert situation, which of these men is likely to emerge as the one with the power?
The president and the governor might insist on their abilities to move people and make things happen, they might fuss and fume; but the real power would rest with the one who has the critical knowledge.
We see then that a leader who’s effective where assertiveness is called for, may not be where specific knowledge is essential. We see that assertiveness and knowledge interact dynamically when it comes to power and influence. The meek survivalist would have to assert himself to some minimal degree to assume the necessary authority, but his knowledge is what really matters. This scenario is almost perfectly played out in the 1965 film, Flight of the Phoenix, with Jimmy Stewart and Heinrich Dorfmann, et al.
So, leadership can be a pointless game, when the needed knowledge or wisdom is missing. The problem with game-playing leaders is that they’re all about status, not about getting the right things done. They tend to ignore real problems and put-off real solutions. The only problem a game-playing society sees is that of finding enough “good leaders!” To the gamers, the masses are inherently unenlightened and unmotivated. The challenge is not to enlighten, but rather motivate, in fact goad; hence the emphasis on ‘leadership techniques.’ The idea of a self-enlightened and motivated public that needs minimal petty oversight, but is inspired by great leaders doesn’t occur.
But you say, technical knowledge still gets its due, as with doctors, attorneys, computer programmers, physicists and engineers; but what about knowledge of things historical, or things spiritual? What about the “wisdom of the ages?” The knowledge that seems to miss so many “modern dynamos” has to do with what it takes to build an organization or society whose members are actually happy, successful, and therefore loyal and committed.
Further, our colleges used to be about getting a “liberal education,” emphasizing non-technical subjects like history, civics, philosophy, music, art and literature. Today the emphasis is on technical know-how and ‘getting-somewhere savvy,’ which lead to jobs (professions), which equate with money, power and prestige. The question of “why?” no longer intrigues or excites. But we have to know “why” before we can meaningfully and effectively do “what!”
What about the pay and benefit gap between leaders and followers, or workers? I think there should be reasonable consideration for the additional responsibility leaders bear. How much consideration should that be? Do leaders work harder than followers? Perhaps, if you consider extra responsibility and extra work. Does that mean they work 200, 300, 400, 500, 5000 times harder than those at lower levels? Absolutely not. These huge obscene gaps in wages are not morally justified at all. They are the result of who holds the power, not who works the hardest or makes the most valuable contribution:
“And I will come near to you to judgment; and I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers, and against the adulterers, and against false swearers, and against those that oppress the hireling in his wages, the widow, and the fatherless, and that turn aside the stranger from his right, and fear not me, saith the Lord of hosts.” –Malachi 3:5
Of course, as I’ve already said, the common people collectively hold the most power, but they usually don’t realize it, and when they do they may exercise it badly. This only gives the elites that much more justification for maintaining their position. From the gamesman point of view, a great leader is the one who can get the common workers to accept these inequities and somehow still see themselves as fortunate. For gamesmen, any leader who can pull such a rabbit out of such a hat deserves unlimited compensation!
These games are not only being played by business leaders, but by leaders in every other walk of life. Whole governments, such as the Soviet Union, and kingdoms such as the Roman Empire have played these games. ‘There is nothing new under the sun’ (Ecc. 1:9).
So, one again begins to appreciate the value of the spiritual, yes the Judeo-Christian. Are we focused on service, or being served? Suppose we are bigger, stronger, brighter, more energetic, more privileged by our circumstances: will we use our advantages to take advantage of others, or help them enjoy some advantages themselves? From the Judeo-Christian perspective, service to God and fellowman is the true and lasting coin of happiness.
“Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.” –Matt. 6:19-21
These sayings have had and still have great appeal to the downtrodden of this world, but there are, and have always been, those who are not phased in the least, who despise and abhor such ideas. Many of these people have risen to high places, and the world supports them simply because they are “successful.” In spite of evidence that democratic and generous administrative policies are more productive, they can’t accept it because to do so would mean giving up their pride! I’ve noticed other characteristics:
ELITE POWER PEOPLE PROFILE:
1. Talented, often above-average IQ; larger-than-average stature, better than average looks.
2. Trendy, energetic, gregarious, confident, aggressive, restless, impatient, risk-takers, scoffers. On a scale, they go from bold-to-brazen, strategic-to-cunning, fearless-to-reckless. Grown-up in the sense of being fearless and bold; immature in the sense of being self-indulgent and short-sighted.
3. Fashionable, even faddish; cool and cocky attractiveness, “dangerous,” ostentatious.
4. Decorate with expensive art and collectibles for investment or impression purposes, but little appreciation for its intellectual or spiritual meaning (same approach to all beautiful things).
5. Tirelessly ambitious but not idealistic; “practical; accept life for what it is.” Cynical.
6. Ultra-competitive, addicted to excitement. See life as a win-lose game with long-term but not eternal consequences.
7. Wildly hard-working, as long as there’s enough in it for them personally. Work in the “get- ahead sense, rather than the “service” sense.
8. See themselves as far more efficient and productive than average, but apt to take shortcuts and leave the rest to others. Actually their ability to survive and thrive is based on the usually unspoken assumption that there are enough suckers (conscientious and accommodating people) out there who are willing to do the work.
9. More likely to use intimidation, but may use humor and comedy as a method of gaining notoriety or popularity which in-turn is used to enhance personal influence/power. Their good humor can turn instantly into irritation and rage if they feel their dominant position is being threatened. The only thing they find truly funny or laughable is the weaknesses, failures and follies of others. Mockers.
10. Ambition knows no bounds. Will go all the way to tyranny/dictatorship; use any possible means, if not restrained by outside forces. Cooperation and community are unappealing. Conquest, victory and being number-one have the only attraction. Other people exist ultimately as a backdrop for accentuating their personal superiority, glory.
11. See non-game-players as useless or useful losers, simple-minded, weak and impractical, existing only to be exploited. Paradoxically though they depend on the productivity of “useful losers” they characterize them in unguarded moments as expendable.
12. Form cliques, but have no true friendships. See others only as allies or adversaries in a competitive world. Constantly socializing but not friendly in the sincere, loyal sense.
13. Superficial, if any, appreciation for and understanding of scriptures or “wisdom literature.” Repulsed by concepts of unselfish love, sincerity, service, sacrifice, humility, reverence, etc. While they reject religious ideals like those just mentioned, they presume to assume roles of gods, as in the tradition of Roman Emperors and Egyptian Pharaohs.
(It’s paradoxical that in light of history’s megalomaniacs styling themselves gods, the one Person visiting the earth who in fact was God, took upon Himself the role of man.)
14. Avoid direct involvement with the ugly, the unattractive, the poor and needy (losers), except for publicity purposes; indirect support through charities. Willing to share money, commodities in limited amounts, but never power and control.
15. See the idea of even approximate material or financial parity as un-American, unworkable and dangerous. Self-interest and self-promotion seen as an inalienable exercise of freedom under the Constitution.
16. Assertion of superiority and privilege based more on self-confidence than self-examination.
17. Compulsion to dominate and demand, more often than not means getting their way over the more modest and less materialistic majority. This produces a trend toward an ever-widening “have” to “have-not” gap, and the development of a philosophy and societal order which justifies and codifies hugely unequal conditions.
18. Desperately cling to status, material things. Ugliness, illness, old age and death seen as disastrous, and yet just another battle to be fought to the bitter end. Funerals and memorials tend to be the most expensive, elaborate and prestigious, the futility of which often escapes them.
Sorry. I know profiling is politically incorrect. Please note it’s about elitists, not people who are simply wealthy and/or powerful. There are many wealthy and powerful people who have managed to stay grounded in sound spiritual principles, in fact more than the poor and powerless in some cases. Please note that some of the above profile traits are desirable in appropriate circumstances. I’m simply attempting to show a pattern of attitudes and attributes which explain the inappropriate, ineffective, and even dangerous policies and practices of some leaders.
“For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.” –Ephesians 6:12
The alternate translation in my Bible for “spiritual wickedness” is “wicked spirits,” thus implying the “Christian war” is not with fellow-mortals, but with the evil spirits who temp mortals to do wrong. Thus leaders, just like the rest of us, are susceptible to abusing power. The Apostle continues with a list of weapons and armament the Christian warrior employs, none of which have to do with mortal combat (Eph. 6:13-18).
“Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. If we live in the Spriit, let us also walk in the Spirit. Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another.” –Galatians 5:19-26
Would you like to work for or with someone who is loving, joyful, peaceful, longsuffering, gentle, good, meek, temperate, not vain or provocative or envious? If you’re a leader or manager, would you like to have a follower or employee with these qualities? We see again how Judeo-Christian virtues have practical applications which enhance cooperation, and therefore productivity in the workplace, along with happy and satisfying interpersonal relations. Leadership, then, is not some mystical endowment, but simply another or greater opportunity for service based on a given person’s talents and desires. Here are a couple of interesting quotes from the much maligned, misunderstood and unappreciated leader, Brigham Young:
“I look around among the world of mankind and see them grabbing, scrambling, contending, and every one seeking to aggrandize himself, and to accomplish his own individual purposes, passing the community by, walking upon the heads of his neighbors—all are seeking, planning, contriving in their wakeful hours, and when asleep dreaming, ‘How can I get the advantage of my neighbor? How can I spoil him, that I may ascend the ladder of fame?’ This is entirely a mistaken idea. You see that nobleman seeking the benefit of all around him, trying to bring, we will say, his servants, if you please, his tenants, to his knowledge, to like blessings, that he enjoys, to dispense his wisdom and talent among them and to make them equal with himself. As they ascend and increase, so does he, and he is in the advance. All eyes are upon that king or that nobleman, and the feelings of those around him are, ‘God bless him! How I love him! How I delight in him! He seeks to bless and to fill me with joy, to crown my labors with success, to give me comfort, that I may enjoy the world as well as himself.’ But the man who seeks honor and glory at the expense of his fellow-men is not worthy of the society of the intelligent.”
“Shall I give you my ideas in brief with regard to business and business transactions? Here for instance, a merchant comes to our neighborhood with a stock of goods; he sells them at from two to ten hundred percent above what they cost. As a matter of course he soon becomes wealthy, and after a time he will be called a millionaire, when perhaps he was not worth a dollar when he commenced to trade. You will hear many say of such a person, what a nice man he is, and what a great financier he is! My feeling of such a man is, he is a great cheat, a deceiver, a liar! He imposes on the people, he takes that which does not belong to him, and is a living monument of falsehood. Such a man is not a financier! The financier is he that brings the lumber from the canyons and shapes it for the use of his fellow man, employing mechanics and laborers to produce from the elements and the crude material everything necessary for the sustenance and comfort of man; one who builds tanneries to work up the hides instead of letting them rot and waste or be sent out of the country to be made into leather and then brought back in the shape of boots and shoes; and that can take the wool, the furs and straw and convert the same into cloth, into hats and bonnets, and that will plant out mulberry trees and raise the silk, and thus give employment to men, women and children, as you have commenced to do here…; such a man I would call a financier, a benefactor of his fellow man. But the great majority of men who have amassed great wealth have done it at the expense of their fellows.” (Widtsoe, John A., Discourses of Brigham Young, Salt Lake City, Deseret News Press, 1954, pp. 307, 311-312.)
As you may have sensed, by now, though I’ve been critical of certain liberals, I’m also criticizing certain conservatives. The bottom line is: we need to be sufficiently critical of ourselves and our human condition to make necessary adjustments. We need to “leaven the lump” with truth regardless of which political camp it affects.
Some people simply like games, others do not. This fact alone, leads many to wealth and others to poverty, having little to do with real work or contribution to society. Some people are fascinated with math and accounting, some love to handle and count money and keep ledgers and balances. This alone leads many to wealth, while those who are more interested in relationships, say, or music, art, science, history, philosophy, or humanitarian service often find themselves with inadequate income. It isn’t unusual to see people with little actual talent, rise to the top just with unbounded drive and ambition. Unfortunately, when they get there, they have little to offer.
Which vocation or profession is more valuable and useful? Income and value are often unrelated, yet popular culture keeps saying they are. Even the rich and powerful admit to these absurdities, and yet the realities of everyday life continue….
Part of the “turning up of the professional steam” I started to describe involved the tremendous trend in big business toward acquisition and consolidation, leading to conglomeration. In the name of “efficiency” companies spent most of the 80’s and 90’s gobbling each other up. The net result has not been greater efficiency, except in the sense of some companies’ leaders and share-holders more efficiently putting money in their own pockets. And the unspoken, but obvious, result is power being concentrated in fewer and fewer hands. Again, a dictator may make the trains run on time, but what are the down-sides?
And then whole governments got into the competition. Countries like China, adopting a pseudo free-market economy, employed the equivalent of slave labor to pull 1st World consumer dollars, pounds, euros and yens in their direction. Unfortunately, and predictably, American corporations employed labor there and in India, and Mexico and other places to enhance their bottom line and avoid conflicts with “free world” labor unions and restrictive governmental regulations and taxes. The US government even joined other Western governments in supporting less and less restrictive trade agreements, blindly assuming competition alone will make everything right.
The problem is, American workers don’t want to live the standard of living the “slave laborers” of other countries are forced to live; and as these other countries get wealthier, using much of that wealth to build their militaries, we become weaker and our economy declines. Public morale also declines as does faith in democratic and free-market principles.
Again we are faced with the question, “is America a nation that has something uniquely good, that is worth preserving?” If it is, then we need to protect ourselves economically as well as militarily and there needs to be an adequate spiritual base. If you want to call it protectionism, go ahead. We want to be protected from being slaves ourselves!
Benjamin Barber wrote an interesting article called “Jihad vs McWorld,” published in The Atlantic Monthly in March of 1992. His well-documented thesis is that two great forces, “tribalism” on the one hand, and “globalism” on the other, are pulling in opposite directions and neither are good for democracy. Globalism is materialistic, being fed by the forces of capitalism and consumerism. Tribalism is anti-materialistic, and driven by zealous faith in very strict and ancient religious and/or ethnic traditions. Ironically, the zeal of tribalism is being financed by the moneys of capitalism (oil, to name, perhaps, the most significant factor). To oversimplify, these again are manifestations of power falling into fewer and fewer hands, which can and probably will lead to disaster if we can’t turn things around.
I believe the Judeo-Christian tradition, if properly understood and practiced, strikes a healthy balance between the material and the spiritual. In the West, we are mostly threatened with run-away commercialism and materialism, and it is the “Elders” of our society who have been leading the charge.
Dr. Barber has also published a book, Consumed (2007: W.W. Norton & Company, New York/London), which, again lavishly documented, explains how getting children to consume as adults, and adults to consume as children, essentially undermines our democratic institutions and corrupts the people who run them. This is paradoxical, since the “free market” is supposed to be the very engine of democracy; yet again, what we are really seeing is not a free market, but rather a free-for-all that ultimately squelches opportunity.
Another book illustrates the same point from another angle, examining US medicine (Jeanne Kassler, MD: Bitter Medicine, 1994, New York, Birch Lane Press/ Carol Publishing Group). I hope to include large excerpts at this site, if I can get permission.
The professions have enjoyed special powers based on a public trust in the higher levels of integrity and humanity that should accompany those who are brighter and better educated. The danger of such a trust is that the professionals themselves will give in to the temptation for economic advantage and gain such a monopolistic position affords. I suggest this has, in fact, occurred and is occurring on a scale that was previously unimagined in this country.
Years ago, one of my college classes was visited by a doctor who was asked about the rising cost of medical care. He answered the question with another question: “What is your health worth to you?” The obvious answer is, “everything.” Good health is almost as valuable as life itself. People will do almost anything, pay anything in exchange for it.
However, to say “your money or your health,’ is about the same as saying “your money or your life.” The latter we would call highway robbery. But, as Dr. Kassler points out, it isn’t the doctors so much as the businessmen, insurance companies, lawyers and government officials who have expanded and exploited the medical monopoly, that are more the abusers.
The modern medical phenomenon should be appreciated in a broader light. First of all, in light of the body’s innate ability to heal itself. All medicine does (however artfully or skillfully) is facilitate the body’s own healing capacities. Secondly, we should remember that God is the giver, not only of life, but of health, and all the abilities we enjoy. He is the giver of medicinal herbs and substances, He is the giver of the intelligence men enjoy to discover and manage these resources. All of these He gives us freely, at no charge! Yes, the scientists and professionals make a valuable contribution, but there is still reason for humility.
The question needs to be asked of medical and all other professionals: “what does it really cost to provide your service, including your enjoyment of a decent, reasonable living? That should have more to do with the cost to consumers, than whether or not consumers can survive without it.
So the question of faith in our Judeo-Christian heritage, again, finds relevance in the practical and critical matters of leadership in everyday life.
Finally, there is something to be said for the important role followers can play in supporting good leaders. Over the past several years, we have seen many good and capable leaders shrink and withdraw from public service because of naysayers and slanderers who scandalize the slightest character flaws or past misjudgments for the sake of neutralizing political opponents. We commoners, too often, have sat idly by and watched these character assassinations take place.
Good leaders, even the most courageous leaders, need the faith, prayers and open support of significant numbers of common people in order to survive and succeed in the public arena. This must go beyond just the secret ballot. We have to get together and make our presence felt in an organized, sustained way. It’s far past time for us to stop being dupped by media and other elites who seek to mold public policy at our expense and to our detriment.
The common man
Must lead aright,
Or the common man
Will be put to flight.
-Doug Taylor
