Hijos del Altísimo (Children of the Most High) - http://www.altisimo.net -
"My people have committed two sins: They have forsaken me, the spring of living water, and have dug their own cisterns, broken cisterns that cannot hold water. Is Israel a servant, a slave by birth? Why then has he become plunder? " (Jeremiah 2:13-14)
Hurt people attempt, consciously or unconsciously, to alliviate their pain. But they do this often in a way which does not lead to healing. On the contrary, they build walls of self-defence in the wrong places, as we mentioned earlier.
Many people are able to see at least part of the mentioned
problems; but they decide to simply ignore them: "Life is
like that; we cannot change it." - So when they are
manipulated and abused, they keep silence and hide their wounds.
When they are not paid their wages, they do not complain. When
they are robbed, they do not denounce it. When they are given an
immoral order, they obey without asking questions. Some
Christians even believe they have to act this way "as a
testimony".
There are two big problems with this behavior. First, it
encourages abusers to commit more abuse. Abuse could not spread
so widely if there were not so many people who allow
themselves to be abused. - And second, when these conformist
people get into some position of authority, they become silent
accomplices of abuse commited by others. They see other leaders
beside them and under them committing abuse, but they do nothing
against it.
There is a saying in Peru: "Just follow the stream." -
In my country of origin, there is an opposite saying: "Only
dead fish follow the stream." As Christians, we are called
to "obey God rather than men" (Acts 5:29), and to go
against the stream if it is an immoral stream.
On the other hand, certain people are so "marked" by
their wounds that they feel offended at every opportunity. Like a
physically wounded person, as soon as someone touches them
slightly, they feel a terrible pain:
"I saw X in the street and he did not even greet me. I will
no longer greet him either." - "The woman next door
looked at me so strangely yesterday - what does she have against
me?"
These victims suspect rejection and betrayal from every side, and
react towards others with the same rejection they suspect from
them. It is very difficult to relate to such personalities, and
obviously they solve nothing with their behavior. They have to
learn all over again what it means to trust.
It was my third visit to a certain office, for a formality to
get a better permission of residence. I knew that I fulfilled the
necessary conditions. The functionary in charge looked at me with
a slightly irritated face: "Why do you want to do this? For
you missionaries, everything is free anyway." - "But I
still want this permission." - "It is really not
necessary; you have already a permission of residence." -
"But if I fulfill the conditions for the other permission, I
would prefer that one." - "OK, if you really want ...
come back tomorrow and I will tell you what you need." -
"I am sorry, but tomorrow it will be difficult for me to
leave my work. Couldn't you inform me right now about the
requisites?" - The functionary seemed to consider mentally
if it was really convenient attending me in this moment. After a
while, he said: "OK, if you insist so much ... come here
next week with your current permission, your letter of guarantee
and a copy of your passport." - "And what else will I
need?" - "Do you mean, you want the complete
requisites?" - "Well, yes, since I want the complete
permission." (Each visit to that office meant normally
waiting in a queue for one hour, and being sent from one
functionary to the next during another hour. So I was not very
eager to repeat this procedure for every single document I had to
submit.) - Reluctantly, the functionary mentioned some more
documents which were necessary. I suspected that it was stilll
not the complete list (which was confirmed at the next visit).
This functionary's behavior illustrates what psychologists call
"passive-aggressive behavior". On the outside, he did
not show any aggressiveness. Apparently, he fulfilled his
functions. But his way of acting demonstrated that in some sense
he perceived me as an enemy, for whom he had to make things as
difficult as possible.
This behavior is formed when a person has never been allowed to
express his or her true emotions. In some families, children
always have to "behave well" on the outside, and they
hear constantly: "What will people think of you?" So
the children begin to express they aggressions in a more passive
way: They "forget" their homework, make their clothes
dirty, let go fragile objects "by accident", etc.
Something similar happens to people who have lived a long time in
slavery and oppression. Therefore it is not strange to find a
large number of Peruvians with this behavior.
We find them even in Christian churches. They disagree with
the leadership, but they never express their disagreement. They
are simply not there when they are needed. They hinder the work
from behind. Even when they have valid reasons for disagreeing,
they never speak out.
The same thing happens in working places. This is probably the
reason why, in spite of very long working hours, most businesses
do not produce efficiently. Workers cast off their "burden
of aggression" by delivering work of poor quality, being
late, or getting "ill".
But in reality, this behavior does not diminish the
"burden of aggression". The real problems are never
brought to the light, and are therefore never solved. People who
act this way live in a life-long lie.
Additionally, people who do not speak openly about injustices
they suffer, contribute indirectly to the continuity of
injustice.
God wants us to bring things to the light (Eph.4:25-26, 5:11-13).
This means taking risks, but we can trust in God as the highest
Authority, infinitely just and infinitely good.
Why has the Peruvian ideal of beauty white skin, blue eyes and
blond, curly hair? - The kind of vanity we see in Peru, springs
from contempt for their own race: "If we cannot overtake
those we consider superior (those who have power over us), we can
at least make an effort to be like them."
Men are not yet showing this tendency in their outward
appearance, but their vanity shows up in other areas. For
example, the accumulation of public honors and professional
titles. In my foreign ignorance, I laughed when hearing about a
"faculty of tourism" at the university. But more and
more careers are included in universities without having anything
to do with science, only for more people being able to call
themselves university graduates.
There is also an exaggerated interest in everything which is
foreign. English schools are overcrowded, while nobody wants to
learn quechua. People who have worked or studied abroad, are
automatically considered "superior".
We can explain this behavior as another form of negation:
Instead of solving their problems, people act as if their
problems did not exist. So they deceive their fellow men - and
themselves.
Ezekiel reproaches those who cover up the misery of their nation
with a beautiful appearance:
"Because they lead my people astray, saying,
"Peace," when there is no peace, and because, when a
flimsy wall is built, they cover it with whitewash, therefore
tell those who cover it with whitewash that it is going to fall.
Rain will come in torrents, and I will send hailstones hurtling
down, and violent winds will burst forth. When the wall
collapses, will people not ask you, "Where is the whitewash
you covered it with?" (Ezekiel
13:10-12)
Some day, "the wall will collapse". Instead of covering
the wall with whitewash, it should be torn down, and a new wall
should be built, upon the foundation of God's principles.
In all areas of society, we see this tendency of negating the real problems. Alberto Mottesi describes, among others, the following symptoms:
"Publicly, the delicate purity of women is exalted in songs and poems, but in private women are molested, dishonored and used.
Mothers are exalted with rhapsodical praise, but at the same time mistreated with disgust, orders and abuse.
The man's authority over the family is proclaimed, but men generally abdicate their responsibility.
Political commitment to the poor is proclaimed, but disdain of members of lower classes is practiced.
Powerful men are flattered and treated pleasingly, but the laws they enact are blatantly disobeyed.
Men are feared more than the law. So the orders of powerful men are blindly followed, even if they are injust. ... There is a contrast between the attempts of legitimizing authority, and the illegitimate use of power. ... Although our countries use the North American Constitutional form, they did not understand the spirit which animates it. Therefore our imitations did not work.
Religiosity is meticulously observed, but God's laws are violated. ... How can we explain the religious devotion of so many criminals, tyrants, drug dealers, abusers? It is due to a popular religiosity which does not demand a righteous conduct."
Alberto Mottesi, "América 500 años después" (America 500 years after)
In public places of Peru, you will find always a special kind
of women. These women are typically between forty and sixty years
of age, fat (not all, but most of them), and capable of shooting
down with their tongue everyone around, but preferrably men. They
jump the queue, pay less and charge more than what is due, and
insult everyone who dares to complain. If they are mothers, they
most probably mistreat their children, but defend them like a
fury against everyone else.
I believe that behind this behaviour, in almost all of the cases,
lies a story of mistreatment and abuse. It is their way of
getting rid of a burden of bitterness which has been accumulated
during a whole life. If this behavior is much more frequent with
women than with men, it indicates than women generally carry a
much heavier burden of bitterness than men, since women are less
respected in society. Now they are revenging themselves; but
their revenge is not directed against the person who initially
caused the wound, but against everyone who is present now.
What these women do not want to take into account, is the number
of other wounded people they leave behind. Not only are they not
solving their own problem, but they cause many new problems in
other lives. And their own burden does not grow smaller.
God provided a place to deposit the burden of bitterness: at the
cross of Jesus. When the burden stays there, the need for revenge
will disappear, and the vicious circle of mistreatment will be
broken.
Revenge can also assume the forms of crime and fraud. An inconscient motive is: "I will recover on my own what they took from me in the past." We can notice this particularly in those deceivers and criminals who specialize themselves in foreign tourists as their victims. A guide-book printed in Germany recommends tourists to just let themselves be robbed, since "this is just a way how Peruvians are recovering a part of what Europeans stole from them centuries ago." But this is a wrong conclusion, since stolen goods do not contribute anything to the development of the country. These goods are normally wasted in drinking-bouts and similar occasions. - Also, this kind of revenge does not raise in any way the standard of justice in the country; on the contrary. More abuse is committed, more victims are produced, and the vicious circle continues. Where the methods of the enemy are applied, it is his kingdom which is being extended.
Another form of revenge is open resistance against authority, and the denial of submitting to any authority. - There is a legitimate resistance in cases where the authority abuses their power, violates the law and acts without honesty. The difference between this legitimate resistance and revenge is in the underlying attitude, and in the means which are used. Revengeful people will do every damage to authorities, and will not mind if their own methods are honest or not. Their goal is not establishing a better authority, but simply protesting against everything which represents authority. So they are the exact image of the abusive authorities they pretend to fight against. - Often, such revenge is not even directed against the real culprit, but against any person and object in the way. We can see this in the widespread vandalism which regularly causes high losses of public and private property.
The bloody extreme of revenge is terrorism. Terrorism exploits the bitter feelings of oppressed peasants, in order to use them for his own goals. There is an incredible energy which can be liberated from the bitterness for having been treated injustly. But this is a negative, destructive energy. Also in this case, eventually we have only more victims of abuse.
In the New Testament, the greek word "anomia" is
often translated as "wickedness", but this is not its
exact meaning, which is "lawlessness". Lawlessness is
more than just committing evil against the law; it is an attitude
which denies completely every law and every distinction between
good and evil.
The Lord warns us that the last times before his coming will be
caracterized by lawlessness: "Because of the
increase of lawlessness, the love of most will grow cold"
(Matthew 24:12). There is a strong tendency, especially among
young people, towards living without any limitation or
restriction; from those ingenuous teenagers who follow their
ideal of "sexual freedom", to those intellectuals who
work consciently towards the overthrow of every authority and
government. At first sight, this looks very attractive: "I
want to be free. I want to be able to do everything I want."
But this is not true freedom. If everyone does what he likes, I
can no longer walk safely in the street because at any moment I
might be robbed or assaulted. Where there is no law nor
authority, who will protect me? Such "freedom without
limits" leads to a war of all against all. Where there are
no limits of personal freedom, there are also no limits against
abuse. So we understand that lawlessness will make our love
"growing cold".
On the other hand, we can understand that this tendency is
also an answer to oppression and abuse. If I suffered abuse, why
not fight for my freedom? If not even the authorities respect the
law, why should I respect it?
But the abolition of all authority is no remedy against abuse of
authority. There can be no "power vacuum" on earth.
There will always be someone who exercises power, and with this
power limits the freedom of other people. The key question is:
What spirit serves this power? Does it serve God and his justice,
or does it serve egoism and satan? Equally, the laws which are
enacted, are they righteous limits which protect the weak ones,
reward good deeds and punish evil deeds? - The remedy against
power abuse is establishing a righteous power.
I have described the problem widely from the point of view of
the subordinate. But there is also a big problem for the leader.
Let's suppose that a righteous person assumes the leadership of
an organization, a political entity, or a business, with every
intention of governing well and using his power in a righteous
way.
At the beginning, this leader will probably find much support,
especially from those people who were "waiting for a
change", and from the conformist majority. At this stage,
the leader is not yet perceived as "dangerous" by his
followers.
But soon he will discover that he cannot realize his well
intentioned projects. There will always be some people who
sabotage his plans, although not openly. They say one thing and
do another; they promise everything and do not fulfill anything;
they try to benefit only themselves instead of collaborating to
the common good. They offer passive resistance.
There may also be a group who is on principle against everything.
They are not against this particular leader, but against
"the leadership" in general. Ironically, this kind of
people seem to integrate themselves better under a strong and
strict authority, and so they foster indirectly an authoritarian
leadership style.
The conformist majority still follows the leader, but there is
always the danger that a competitor will influence them in order
to follow him insted of the legitimate leader.
For the leader, this situation presents a serious dilemma.
Practically, he has only two options: He can go on using his
authority in a correct way and refusing all dishonest means; but
then most probably his competitors will soon overthrow his
position. Or he can recur to manipulation and oppression and so
maintain his position, but he will loose his integrity and become
another abusive authority. He simply does not have the option of
being honest and at the same time maintaining his position.
At least this is how it seems to be, if we loose sight of God,
the highest authority. But when we take into account that he is
in charge of everything, then a honest leader has a third option:
He can keep his honesty and confront his adversaries, trusting in
God and calling upon him for protection.
The book of Daniel is very instructive in this respect. King
Nebuchadnezzar had a malicious strategy for dominating the
conquered Jews: He would put over them a Jewish authority who
would be accepted by them for their nationality, but who in
reality would be loyal to Babylon. Therefore he took some young
and noble Jews, in order to educate them in the Babilonian ways.
But Daniel and his friends had decided from the beginning to
follow God's commandments and not to make any compromise with
Babilonian religion, nor to depart from their moral integrity.
This decision was put on trial, first, in an apparently
insignificant matter: their daily food. "But
Daniel had resolved not to defile himself with the royal food and
wine..." (Daniel 1:8)
Two points are important here:
- Daniel did not wait for a "big" opportunity in order
to prove his integrity; his behavior was consistent even in the
very "small" matters.
- Daniel and his friends made this decision a long time before
getting into a position of power, when they were still prisoners
without rights nor freedom. We should not believe that once we
get power, it would be easier to make honest decisions - on the
contrary, it might get much harder. The commitment to integrity
must manifest itself before reaching a position of
power.
With this decision, the four friends put at risk their own lives, and the life of the official in charge of them. Only trusting in God's power they were able to make such a decision, and God honored their courage, as we see in the continuation of the history.
The next trial occurred when they were already governors of
provinces. The king commanded that everyone should worship a huge
golden image; and "whoever does not fall down
and worship will immediately be thrown into a blazing
furnace." (Daniel 3:6)
Today, we can observe many authorities who "under obligation
of their duties" participate in things who are against their
consciences, even without being threatened in such a terrible
way. But the young Jewish men maintained their integrity,
trusting firmly in God, and were ready to loose even their lives.
And God honored again their decision and freed them from the
blazing furnace.
Daniel had to go through a third trial in his old age, under
the government of Darius. At that time, he was the highest
governor after the king. "At this, the
administrators and the satraps tried to find grounds for charges
against Daniel in his conduct of government affairs, but they
were unable to do so. They could find no corruption in him,
because he was trustworthy and neither corrupt nor
negligent." (Daniel 6:4)
What a testimony of Daniel's integrity, that not even his worst
enemies were able to find a valid accusation against him! Of
which current authority, even among those who call themselves
"Christians", could we say the same? - But then
Daniel's enemies found out that they could accuse Daniel exactly
on grounds of his strongest point: his relationship with God.
They induced the king to forbid by law praying to any god or man
except to the king. But Daniel continued praying to God, and was
consequently accused before the king.
Also in this situation, God honored Daniel's integrity and
protected him in the lion's den.
If we really believe that God is the same yesterday, today and forever, then we can know that also today he is here in order to protect honest authorities. This is really the only way out for a leader who wants to maintain his integrity in the current situation. Where are the leaders who take this challenge, who remain faithful to God and who do not let themselves be carried away by the many influences who intend to corrupt their authority? - Only they will be capable of breaking the vicious circle of abuse and wounds.
Hijos
del Altísimo (Children of the Most High) - http://www.altisimo.net - 
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the way to personal healing 
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