My Prime Objective: To Maximize Control

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

The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.” (John 3:8 NIV)

Whenever I say that our prime objective should be to maximize control, it would be easy to assume that I speak of close and strict hierarchical control and a substantial degree of mistrust of those beneath that control.  Nothing could be further from what I intend by saying that we should work to maximize control. For it is in understanding that raw condign power is inherently self-defeating and limiting that we come to understand that maximum control in human affairs gets its genesis from conditional power conjoined with responsibility and accountability. Conditional power is born of goodwill and respect and is thus the power that engenders creativity, generosity, and loyalty. Thus we have a paradox (so it must be true), the more we try to hoard power and disenfranchise others, the greater power and effectiveness we lose.  A corollary to this regards timing.  The sooner we demonstrate that we exercise conditional power in the entrepreneurial process, the greater our effectiveness will be for it inspires trust and cooperation at the outset of production rather than its opposite...rebellion–a typical and predictable countervailing response to condign power that undercuts abundance.

One note in passing; if you have followed my blogs you will notice that I never mention the “Private Sector” but always the “Creative Sector.”  The Private Sector suggests an enclosed, static space whereas The Creative Sector most nearly describes the true dynamic interrelationships and functioning of a market economy. 

(My above power terminology is heavily indebted to John Kenneth Galbraith and his book Anatomy of Power.)   

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Freedom from Puzzlement

In your life, what do you see more of: Fate? Chance? Design? Destiny? Explain. (Serendipity Bible Tenth Anniversary Edition, page 699).

My faith in God saves me from an obsession with trying to explain the all too coincidental.  That is, the paranoid attempt to explain everything in human terms requires secret agents provided with impossibly comprehensive intelligence systems.  What a relief it is to ascribe to the unreachable workings of God the phenomenon and mystery of widely observed cohesively related events. That is, God plans and orchestrates the coalescence of the apparently unconnected that in years past drove man defensively to the explanatory invention of Fate, Chance, and Destiny to maintain simple sanity. Mankind has long appreciated the mystery of preternatural design.  Unfortunately Fate, Chance, and Destiny are not totally efficacious in preventing escalating paranoia whereas belief and faith in an omniscient, omnipresent, and omnipotent God effectively staunches the excesses of inquiring minds.

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Terse Talk

Let me be terse–I detest calls for realpolitik whenever this call to “practicality” is thinly veiled cynicism and an arrogance that blithely assumes it’s cool to be ruthless so long as you are the actor and not the receiver.  The greatest challenge for humanity is to define the meaning and substance of nurture not only within the family, but for all other institutions–including the church, state and creative sector.  This is so, so long as the purpose of life is given as health and happiness–not always the central objective of human barracudas.

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Stand By Me

Are you more motivated to act by a clarion “call to arms,” or by a “war protest” movement? What does that say about you? (Serendipity Bible Fourth Edition, page 379).

I do not want to be known as a pacifist or a war hawk.  There is no way that I would make a blanket promise to never, under any circumstances, act in self-defense. Neither do I wish to be perceived as a junk yard dog seeking to emasculate every intruder. The Golden rule often does not apply well to critical failures.  That is, the best time to apply the Golden rule is as soon as possible, as assiduously as possible, as often as possible.  Human affairs is characterized by escalating emotions and complications impossible to manage.  An ounce of prevention is worth many times more than a tragic conflagration into mindless madness.  Let us retain maximum control though proactively garnering actions that redeem rather than demean (as with computer documents, let us "save early and save often").


 

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On Self-Evalution and Casting Stones

When has someone jumped to a wrong conclusion about you? How did you feel? (Serendipity Bible Fourth Edition, page 1489).

One must start this question with oneself. Have I ever jumped to the wrong conclusion about others? The answer to this question is obvious and painful. Therefore, I must temper any sense of outrage at an unfair judgment of me by realizing that I have often done the same. And I use "often" advisedly. In this regard it is much like when I'm on the highway and see someone make a dumb traffic maneuver. Even though it might have resulted in a close call for me, I must ask myself immediately "Am I a perfect driver? Have I not also put others in jeopardy by a selfsame foolish action?" It is amazing how a little introspection can be a quieting balm to outraged anger.

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Ruminating Rules

From your school days, what rule seemed pointless or silly? Did you break it? (Serendipity Bible Fourth Edition, page 1488).

I respected adult authorities and although I found some of their decision points puzzling, I nevertheless continued in obedience and respect.  This tendency to “keep off the grass” without rebelling in some cases has not been the best thing–a little rebellion now and then is called for–but mine was always behind closed doors and expressed in grumbling.  A particular requirement comes to mind.  When I was in graduate school at Florida State, a particular professor insisted that footnotes always appear on the page where the citation occurred (endnotes were not allowed).  This was before word processors or personal computers.  In short, all composition was done on typewriter and this note requirement immensely complicated the task–I thought needlessly.  That is, around midnight after repeatedly failed attempts to get the text cessation and footnote commencement to behave properly, surely the Lord knew I was greatly agitated and completely disposed to dump tea leaves in the university fountain.

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Covenant Service Delivered; Blogs to Resume

Wedding Party
Bob Standifer, Linda Standifer
Kunte Kinte Lueallen (Best Man)
Wayne Standifer and Connie Kline
Sue Marnelli (Maid of Honor)
Viney Myers (Played Amazing Grace on Harmonica)

Yesterday evening Connie and I were joined together in a Covenant Service.  The astounding thing I learned from the experience is the fantastic support residents at Westminster Suncoast receive from fellow residents.  We had originally planned for a gathering of some 35.  The actual number attending was over 100.  Many told us that it was one of the most beautiful and meaningful wedding services they had ever attended.  I have to give special thanks to Bob and Linda Standifer (my brother and sister-in-law both Methodist clergy) who traveled from north Georgia to officiate at the service.  They also devised the service.  Additionally Linda, who has a “Pottage” pottery workshop, handcrafted vessels for the sand ceremony (symbolically irretrievably uniting the lives of Connie and me.)  I was blessed by the attendance of longtime friends living outside the Westminster community.  Connie also welcomed beloved friends who traveled many miles to attend.  We intentionally did not plague anyone with the task of taking pictures.  We wanted everyone to “get into” and enjoy the service.  Immediately after the service we choo-chooed down the aisle swinging to the O’Jays playing Love Train.

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