The Hidden Cancer of Society

On March 4, 1933, President Franklin D. Roosevelt gave his first of an unprecedented four inauguration speeches. Roosevelt came to office during a time when the nation was facing one of its most debilitating crises, The Great Depression. A depression that was so vast, it didn't just cripple America, but the world. 

Roosevelt's words to the nation that day began with an edict:

" This great Nation will endure as it has endured, will revive, and will prosper. So, first of all, let me assert my firm belief that the only thing we have to fear is fear itself—nameless, unreasoning, unjustified terror which paralyzes needed efforts to convert retreat into advance."

Roosevelt knew what so many of us fail to see, that despite hardships, setbacks, and loss, the greatest enemy we will ever face is fear. 

Fear is extremely dangerous because it causes us to only focus on ourselves and our wants and needs and see "the other" as our enemy. It starts out small, a thought here, a negative opinion there, but before long it grows and moves from our mind into our actions. Actions that can reap horrendous repercussions. Fear is cancer and just like cancer, it harms the host more than anything else. 

Ten years after Roosevelt’s inauguration, America faced an even greater fear. As a generation crawling its way out of the depression was attacked during the bombing of Pearl Harbor. The first foreign attack on American soil since the War of 1812. That generation, later dubbed "The Greatest Generation" by Tom Brokaw, would once again take heed to Roosevelt’s words and fight against the greatest enemy the world had ever seen up to that time: The Nazis.

Unfortunately, Roosevelt (like Lincoln before him), would not live to see the victory. And as years passed, the generation that stood up to evil would face more challenges but lose sight of the real enemy: fear. 

A barrage of threats continued during the second half of the twentieth century (ongoing racism, McCarthyism, Nuclear War, Cold War, Political assassinations, Satanic Panic, AIDS, etc), and with each new threat, fear rose to exponential levels. The challenges America faced were captured perfectly in the Boomer anthem, "We Didn't Start The Fire" by Billy Joel. But sadly, Billy, your generation started some fires of their own. 

And since the turn of the 21st century as terrorism (foreign and domestic) has reached our shores, along with school shootings, unpopular wars, the rise of white supremacy, cancel culture, and pandemics, fear seems to have rooted itself into our fabric.

It's like we've been living like the Dutch boy in the story of the dam. We plug one hole only to find many more leaks developing. It may be because instead of attacking the source, we keep addressing the symptoms. And those symptoms are flowers in a garden rooted in fear: Fear of the future, fear of the unknown, fear of rejection, fear of failure, fear of "the other"...the list can go on and on. 

In 1958, at the height of the Cold War, and after the rise of McCarthyism (a version of cancel culture, only the government was doing the canceling), pioneering newsman, Edward R. Murrow, gave this warning to America:

We will not walk in fear, one of another. We will not be driven by fear into an age of unreason, if we dig deep in our history and our doctrine, and remember that we are not descended from fearful men — not from men who feared to write, to speak, to associate and to defend causes that were, for the moment, unpopular.

Now more than ever, it seems that unreason is winning.

So how do we fight fear, when so many before failed in that venture?

The answer may lie in a book near the end of the Bible written by one of Jesus' closest disciples, John. In 1 John 4, John gives a mandate to the next generation. 

This is how love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment: In this world, we are like Jesus. There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.

"Perfect love casts out all fear"

John quantifies that the only way to beat fear is not just through love, but perfect love. But what exactly is perfect love and how is it different than just plain, ole regular love?

John stipulates that we are to be like Jesus. Not listen to Jesus, but be like him. And Jesus gives us an ideal example of what perfect love looks like. 

1. He helped everyone (despite class, gender, or belief)

2. He forgave those who hurt him; Whether they are his oppressors or his closest disciples. Everyone felt his forgiveness.

3. He went at the root of most ills: spiritual injustice. Jesus never went after the physical oppressors, but time and again spoke truth to the spiritual powers of the day.

These were just some of the things that Jesus did. John would say if we were to record everything Jesus did, "the whole world could not contain the books that would be written."

Whether you believe Jesus was God or just a wise teacher, most will agree that he lived a life of perfect love. It's not an easy thing to do, and something most of us will never be able to accomplish in our lifetime. But we need to start learning how. If we look around at the world today, it appears that fear is winning. We have become afraid of the unknown, the future, and most importantly, each other. 

Every generation will face new societal ills, and most likely, we will just continue to treat the symptoms and new ills will take their place like weeds in a garden. To stop this cycle, we must learn how to love as it is the only cure to stop the cancer of fear from continuing to spread. Until we treat the root of our societal ills, all we will really be doing is just mowing the lawn.  

The Power of Brown M&M's

A tour rider is something every major music act puts into their contract when booking a venue with a promoter. It usually contains items that the artist requests before performing. Some contract riders are pretty cut and dry: bottles of water, favorite foods the artist would like to snack on, or eat as a meal before performing, etc. Of course, some riders can be quite over the top: velvet drapes around the perimeter, extravagant bottles of wine, or a dressing room for their “guru”.

The iconic rock band Van Halen's rider became famous, not just for its size, which was triple the riders of most bands, but for a very bizarre request buried inside of it: The dressing room of any venue they play must contain a bowl of M&M’s with no brown ones.

For years around the music scene, Van Halen's tour rider was the stuff of legend and used as an example of the over-the-top demands rock acts desire. But the real reason for the brown M&M's clause was completely the opposite.

At the height of their career, Van Halen's elaborate and innovative stage shows broke box office records, but some venues were not prepared for the number of lights and staging that went into the production. The lack of preparation by the promoter could overwork the crew, damage the building, and hurt the band and their fans.

To counter this, Van Halen created a large tour rider to assist the promoter in preparation for their concert. When a promoter did not follow all of the band's instructions, it caused a belabored pre-production for the band to make sure everything was safe before they performed. This took time away from the band to prepare for their show and get ready to delight thousands of fans.

Lead singer, David Lee Roth, had a simple solution. He would bury in the rider a small insignificant thing that, if done correctly, the band would know that the venue was taking their precautions seriously. That solution: their dressing room must contain a bowl with no brown M&M’s. If the band arrived at the venue and saw a bowl with no brown M&M’s, they knew the promoter took their rider seriously and it was safe to perform. If the brown M&M's were there, the band would have to recheck all of the logistics before they could start putting together their production.

Van Halen realized what some people, within any relationship, take years to discover: it's the little things in life that matter. And most conflict arises, not from a giant misunderstanding, but from “death by a thousand paper-cuts”.

For a committed team member in an organization, although they may not be putting on massive rock shows, they are just as vulnerable to the organization as Van Halen was to a promoter. 

The heart of Van Halen's rider was three questions every leader should ask about their team to make those trusting in them feel valued.

1. Do they feel supported?

2. Do they feel informed?

3. Do they feel protected?

Usually, the answer to those questions determines whether a team member leaves or stays. And it's the little things that a leader does for their team that answers those questions.

Jesus understood this and taught his disciples how important the “little” things are. 

When Jesus was about to send his disciples out on their first assignment, he gave them instructions on how they were to act, but before they left, he showed them his heart. 

"So, do not be afraid of them, for there is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed or hidden that will not be made known. What I tell you in the dark, speak in the daylight; what is whispered in your ear, proclaim from the roofs. Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell. Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father's care. And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So, don't be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows."

Matthew 10:28-31

         Before the disciples embarked on their first official task, within a few simple verses, Jesus let them know they would be informed, supported, and most importantly, valued. Jesus was telling them that if God cares for the most insignificant things in creation, he certainly cares for them.

Most committed team members become frustrated in the workplace not because of the pressure, but because of a build-up of little things. They may experience a thoughtless comment, an unsupported project, or an overloaded work schedule – things that can appear to be “little” events, but to the team member, it will begin to plant a seed of doubt that they are no longer valued (but exploited). A committed team member will still be productive despite facing this, but frustration will begin because they feel an unspoken lack of trust in their leader.

Unfortunately, the frustration will usually continue to build until the relationship is broken, resulting in the team member resigning or being let go.

The leaders in any organization must answer those three questions consistently because if they don't, even highly committed team members will ultimately leave an organization because of it.

For team members, it is essential to have their own “brown M&M’s” in the workplace. It's typical to let the little things go, but before long, conflict arises and performance declines. Work dynamics are a fragile thing. While a good leader can be lifegiving, a bad leader can wreak havoc not just on work performance, but mental performance as well. And the mental strain can lead to unhealthy habits that last long after a team member leaves an organization.

Before joining any organization, a committed team member must create their own "bowl of M&M's". If the organization doesn’t provide the bowl, it doesn't mean a team member should quit, but, as with Van Halen, it may bring awareness to some structural problems before it's too late. 

The Stakes of Leadership

One of the most tragic stories of WWII, in a vast sea of many, was the plight of the Italian soldier. Italy started the war on the side of the Axis Powers (Japan, and Nazi Germany), but midway through the war (circa 1943), Italy had a civil war and their fascist leader, Benito Mussolini, was ousted from his position. The new regime began making secret treaties with the Allied Powers (England, US, and France) and eventually switched sides. 

This had unbearable consequences to the Italian soldiers fighting in the war. Once Italy switched sides, Hitler immediately captured all of the Italian soldiers fighting in the field. Half of the Italian army were rounded up by the Nazis and given two choices: they could either join the German Army along with all of its privileges or they would be sent to a forced labor camp inside Nazi Germany. 

Ninety percent of the Italian army captured chose to be sent to a forced labor camp rather than be a Nazi. The conditions they faced were inhumane. Hitler, furious that the Italians had switched sides, changed their designation from "Prisoner of War" to "Italian Military Internee". This slight change in designation had horrific repercussions. Because the soldiers were not considered Prisoners of War, they were not under the protection of the Geneva Convention and the Red Cross was not aware of their plight.  

After the captured soldiers arrived in the forced labor camp, they were given another chance to join the Nazi army and three quarters of the soldiers refused. Hitler then considered them traitors and the soldiers were put in hellish conditions that were only slightly better than the Jewish Concentration Camps. 

To make this story all the more tragic, Hitler's propaganda machine buried the story and the tragedies that befell these soldiers didn't come to light until the 21st century. Because of that, for the rest of their lives and long after the war was over, these brave men were seen as incompetent cowards in the eyes of the world. 

An interesting footnote in all of this was that the majority of the Italian Army that did join the Nazi regime were officers. The poor soldiers who held to their convictions and refused, despite the hell they were living in, were the victims, not just of the Nazis, but of bad leadership.

When we think of leadership, we may think of character traits like strength, charisma, and persuasion. Becoming a leader is such a value in any organization that there are numerous podcasts and books on what makes a good leader. Leadership appears to be so complicated and lofty that it is something only a select few get to partake in. 

But, if you were to interview most people in the workplace, more often than not they have been a victim of a bad leader. How is it possible that with so many resources there seems to be a heavier ratio of bad leaders to good leaders?

Perhaps we have been valuing the wrong characteristics of what makes a good leader?

In Jesus' "Sermon on the Mount", Jesus lays out a simple formula in how to recognize a good leader:

“Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. By their fruit, you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thorn bushes or figs from thistles? Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus, by their fruit, you will recognize them."

Matthew 7:15-20

Interestingly, Jesus uses such a simple item in his analogy, fruit. Fruit, on the surface, does not have an immediate benefit to the tree itself. Its creation is for the benefit of other living creatures, It is only after the fruit is used that the original tree receives the benefit when the seeds of the fruit are planted to create more trees.

Jesus also never clarifies what are bad actions versus good actions, he just says "actions". It may be because that answer is so simple: good actions benefit others, bad actions benefit you, just like good fruit nourishes, bad fruit poisons.

In most cases, one action does not make or break a leader, but a pattern of actions will. 

There are two actions in Jesus' life that can inform us on what makes a good leader, and on the surface, they can seem completely unconnected, but when you read the life of Jesus in context it can reveal what a truly amazing leader Jesus truly was.

Within the narrative of the life of Jesus, both actions occur as Jesus is in the final week of his life. 

The first comes right after Jesus makes his triumphal entry into Jerusalem, marking the final countdown to the cross. 

Jesus was coming back to Jerusalem after a brief stay in Bethany, he was hungry and he noticed a fig tree in the distance. It was full of life but did not have fruit. Jesus without hesitation curses the tree so that it will never bear fruit. 

A curious action, whose deeper meaning may have been lost on the disciples at the time. But within the context of Jesus' life, he was giving a natural example of his earlier message. 

"Don't be swayed by the outward appearance." 

Sometimes we are drawn to a leader through their power, promises, and persuasion, but without action, those attributes are just like the beautiful leaves on an empty tree. If actions don't match words, then the "fruit" can quickly change to bullying, pandering, and flattery.

The fact that Jesus curses the tree may be his way of showing the disciples the danger of letting a bad leader continue to thrive. Something was wrong with the tree, and perhaps, when the fruit did grow, it would be a risk for another weary traveler. The heart of Jesus cursing the tree was to protect and serve those who trusted him. 

Jesus' heart toward those following him would play out again on the last night of his life. When Jesus was being arrested, chaos ensued, he was betrayed by one of his disciples and the Roman garrison was waiting for him. 

Peter, one of Jesus’ closest disciples, emotionally decided to take action. He pulled out his sword and lopped off the ear of one of the soldiers. Jesus immediately intervenes and heals the ear of the soldier. 

When this is preached, it is often in the context of Jesus' love for his enemies. But there may be more to this story. Jesus may have been protecting Peter. Jesus only wanted himself to be arrested, he didn't want harm to come to his disciples. Without Jesus’ intervention, Peter's action would have put him right up on the cross with Jesus. 

Even in Jesus' weakest moment, he was still looking out for those that trusted him and he knew they were willing to do whatever they could to protect him. Quite the opposite action of the officers and leaders of those brave Italian soldiers full of integrity. 

As we look around at our world today, leadership may be more in line with the Italian officers than Jesus. And whether it be in politics, religion, or even the workplace, good leadership seems to be sorely lacking. It seems to be an anomaly considering how many resources there are available to develop good leaders. Perhaps it's because we put too much emphasis on the results of being a leader and not on the responsibility that accompanies the title. 

Jesus showed us that the main action that makes a good leader is serving, not leading. As we try to navigate our way through a world that oftentimes makes little sense, maybe it's time we stop promoting the idea of leadership until we start promoting the heart of what makes a good leader, servanthood. It is only when servanthood is as admired as the title of leader will the actions we make truly change things in our world. If we don't then the majority of the world will be filled with more bad fruit then good. 

That's A Nice Message

For a practice geared toward helping you relax, Yoga can be an intimidating experience. To a first-time participant, the many poses, movements, and exercises can feel daunting. And if you don't have a good teacher, it could be soul-crushing. But a good yoga teacher will tell you, the only thing that matters is your breathing. It is the foundational part of any yoga practice, and on the surface, it can sound so simple that it's easy to overlook it, but without it, all of the cool poses are meaningless.

On the bright side, if you can breathe, you can learn.

To an outsider, Christianity today could be just as soul-crushing as a bad yoga practice. It seems that no matter what side is talking, progressive or conservative, something is missing in the message. For a religion founded on the principle of love, that seems to be the one thing that most Christians don't understand. The sad thing is that if you ask most Christians, they think they are loving, but to an outsider, our actions aren't showing it.

The Bible is a complicated book. There are so many rules, regulations, and things you are not supposed to do, that the foundational aspect of love can be lost.

If the Golden Rule (explored more in detail in my last post) is the essential aspect of faith, then why isn't it taught as often as tithing or the Ten Commandments?

The Golden Rule is mentioned twice in the Gospels, once in Matthew and once in Luke, and it is a part of a longer message known as "The Sermon on the Mount".

For anyone who attends Church or has been to church, the sermon is the largest part of a church experience. It's the message the pastor gives that is full of truth and perspective in the hopes that the audience will reflect on it and eventually implement it into their lives. More often than not, the message never moves much past reflection.

And that may be part of the problem. Jesus' "Sermon on the Mount" is treated just like a sermon, a nice message to reflect on as you go about your week. But if you read "The "Sermon on the Mount" in context ( the placement in Christ's timeline, the intended audience, and the overall structure of the teaching), it's quite a different story.

Throughout the Gospels, when Jesus teaches, the authors make it very clear who the audience is. Sometimes Jesus is talking to his disciples or his apostles (a clear distinction that is often missed), other times he may be talking to the whole crowd that is following him. In the case of "The "Sermon" on the Mount", it becomes very clear who Jesus is speaking to, and it's not the crowd, it's his disciples.

The fact that Jesus is addressing this message to his disciples and that it's so early in his ministry makes the SOTM Christianity 101. It's a master class in how to follow him, he just allowed the crowd to audit it.

And just like any class we take, whether it be a yoga class, a photography class, or a math class, you can’t pick and choose the teachings you like, and you have to learn the basics before you move on to the complicated techniques. The Sermon on the Mount was not a message to walk away from and say, "That was nice. I'm going to try that", it was the foundational basics of everything that Jesus was going to say and do in the next three years of his ministry. In that context, it was imperative that the disciples fully implement the teachings within "The "Sermon" on the Mount" into their lives if they were going to have any impact in their world.

As followers of Christ, we need to stop treating "The "Sermon" on the Mount" as just another sermon and start treating it exactly what Jesus intended it to be, the foundational structure of being a follower of Christ. Everything else that is taught should be funneled through that lens. It should take top priority over any other piece of scripture we teach and treated like a Rosetta Stone in order to understand everything contained in the New Testament.

If we are to get Christianity back on track, "The "Sermon" on the Mount needs to be as essential as learning how to breathe in a yoga class. It should be hard-wired into our DNA as a follower of Christ and be as valued as The Ten Commandments or The Letters of Paul. What Jesus laid out that day was not a sermon but a mandate. And that mandate is essential if anything we teach, preach, do, or say is truly going to reflect who Christ truly is.

The Golden Rule

The Golden Rule. It's something that every one of us hears from the time we can understand words. We hear it so much that it has become a platitude along with, "Everything happens for a reason" or "Nobody's perfect".

The unfortunate thing is that The Golden Rule shouldn't be a platitude. It should be the essence of every choice, big or small, that we make in our life.

The Golden Rule has been a part of us since the formation of the written word. Some scholars trace the phrase's origin back to early Confucian times (551-479 BCE), while others trace its origin as far back as the Middle Kingdom of the Egyptian Empire (2040-1650 BCE). Either way, it's been around a long time.

A fascinating aspect that hardly ever gets mentioned when we talk about The Golden Rule is that it has been an essential tenet of every major religion from Buddhism to Wicca. In a world where so much separates us, it appears that The Golden Rule is one of the few things that unites us.

But if the Golden Rule is such a universally accepted way to live, why do we treat it like just another phrase? Is it because it's an easy phrase to say, but a hard rule to follow?

Whether you believe in Jesus as God or as a wise teacher, one thing we can all agree on is that he lived his life according to the rule.

Jesus mentions the Golden Rule near the end of his most famous teaching, "The Sermon On The Mount".

"Do to others whatever you would like them to do to you. This is the essence of all that is taught in the law and the prophets . Matthew 7:12

When we read through the life of Jesus, we can see that Jesus reached out and ministered to everybody. His closest followers (the disciples) were a team of rivals who in any other circumstance had no business being in a room together, let alone starting one of the largest religions in the world.

Jesus’ disciples were a mix of fishermen, a tax collector, and a religious zealot. Today they would probably be small business owners, financiers, and political activists. Could you see a group like that today working together for the benefit of all society?

Yet, Jesus found a way to show them how to all work together and it wasn't just by what he taught them, it was the way he lived his actual life.

Jesus' interactions with other people are a fascinating portion of his life. And it's not just how he interacted with the people he came into contact with, it was who he was interacting with. Jesus loved everyone no matter their gender, class, religion, or race. From a Samaritan Woman (one of the most oppressed people in the early 1st Century ), to a Roman Centurion (one of the people doing a majority of the oppressing) and everyone in between.

The shocking thing is that he treated them equally. He treated them with empathy. He took the time to treat them as if he was in their position. He valued the person over their actions. He valued the person equal to himself.

Jesus met the needs of many during his time on Earth. But for most of us, we focus on his birth and his death. But, what he should most be remembered for is his actions because they equaled his message.

When Jesus was being put to death, he looked around at those executing him and forgave them. Not just a sentimental forgiveness, but true forgiveness. Supernatural forgiveness.

In the context of Jesus’ death, we may focus on the people executing him, but if you look at the larger picture, not a single person helped him. People who saw and felt his love, people whose lives were physically, emotionally, and spiritually changed. Not a single person Jesus interacted with came to his aid. And he was dying for them.

It's an incredible demonstration of going above what you are teaching.

Jesus knew the Golden Rule was hard. He immediately followed teaching it with the sobering message that there are two roads: the narrow, which is hard, and the wide, which is easy. He was letting us know the journey it would take to achieve this rule, it would be like building a house inside of a rock.

The world we live in is not easy. Our instinct is to focus on ourselves just so we feel that we can survive. When we focus on ourselves, all it does is drive us towards isolation and that’s the last thing we need. If the Golden Rule is the essence of every major spiritual movement and religion, then maybe it's time we learn how to treat each other as we would want to be treated. It will take a lot of humility and grace, but if we spend our time learning how to live that way, maybe we'll be filled with love rather than fear.