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Power & Control - Part I by Tim Knappenberger |
Jeffrey Dahmer, Wayne Gacey, Ted Bundy.
Americans never seem to tire of the bizarre. Of late,
numerous books have hit the shelves analyzing the minds
and motives of serial killers. In these studies experts
have interviewed convicted felones who’ve stalked,
raped, murdered, mutilated, even consumed their victims.
The analysts have attempted to understand the workings of
twisted minds in hopes that those like them can be
prevented from killing or, at least, more quickly
captured once they have. One interesting insight to come
from these studies had to do with the murderers’
motivations. They found that most of those who committed
such heinous acts were rewarded by a feeling of complete
and total control over their victims. Jeffrey
Dahmer’s grotesque cannibalism was his ultimate act
of possessing and dominating another human being. Not necessity, not desire—no, the love of power is the demon of men. Let them have everything—health, food, a place to live, entertainment—they are and remain unhappy and low-spirited: for the demon waits and waits and will be satisfied. Friedrich Nietzsche (1844–1900), German philosopher. Daybreak, aph. 262 (1881). Our demented cast of characters cited above gives prophetic meaning to Neitzsche’s words. Talk about your control freaks! Control. We never seem to have quite the right amount. Too much and we become maniacal tyrants. Too little and we fret over our vulnerability and ineffectualness in life. In between these extremes we attempt to order our world as best we can, filling in the spaces with schedule planners, mowed and trimmed lawns, retirement accounts, friends who can be trusted, diet and exercise regimes, binding legal agreements , even service contracts on our microwave ovens least they breakdown and we’re left without means to warm up our coffee, God forbid! As I’ve been about the process of reviewing and reordering my 40-ish something life, I’ve come to the awareness of just how much I’ve worshipped control and order. The most damning evidence of this idolatry is usually in the small stuff; like my need to stay ahead of the laundry pile or keeping the lawn neatly mowed. I cringe when I remember the time we had friends in from out of town and I excused myself shortly after their arrival to mow my grass. Okay, so maybe I’m a little obsessive-compulsive. Okay, Okay. . . so I’m a lot obsessive-compulsive! Since that episode, I’ve become a little better policing myself from trying to over order and control my world. Nevertheless, it’s a daily battle to remind myself that I have little to no control over most of the events and people in my life. Heck, when it comes right down to it I have little control over myself. I consider it fortunate when I’m able to control my own bowels and my 42 year old male prostate is reminding me that bladder control is slowly fading from view. I cannot will the next beat of my heart. Should I foolishly try to prevent my next breath, involuntary reflexes will kick into action and force me to inhale. The DOW Jones Average will rise and fall according to fiscal forces far beyond me. People at my office will have good or bad days as a result of elements having nothing to do with how their good or bad day impacts me. And so it goes (Amen Linda Elerbee!). Lest you think I’m inferring that today’s "Tiddy Tilly" who insists on daily vacuuming the carpet will become tomorrow’s hatchet-wielding Lizzy Borden, you’re wrong. What I am saying , however, is that the Dahmer’s eating their victims to gain a false sense of control and the Knappenberger’s manicuring their lawns to achieve a lesser amount of the same thing are only separated by a matter of degrees on the same scale. Both are under a sin-induced delusion that security can, in fact, be achieved if but just all the "ducks" can be persuaded to "stay in a row," even for the briefest of time. Jesus spoke to the utter futility of Man attempting to control his own destiny when He posed the query, "Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?" Had He been addressing today’s audience (which, come to think of it, He is) He might have substituted worrying with: by working overtime? by keeping an immaculate house? by attending 15 Stephen Covey workshops? by covering your wall with more sheepskins than you can find in Little Bo Peep’s backyard? Since any response falls far short of an adequate answer, He follows up with an even more probing question, "Since you cannot do this very little thing, why do you worry about the rest?" Why indeed, LORD?! The old testament is full of wonderful stories that put human flesh on concepts and principles God would have us know. The story of King Nebuchadnezzar is one that plainly illustrates that the ultimate ordering of our lives belongs to God, not us. Not only did good King Nebuchadnezzar have his "ducks in a row," he had them gold plated! But God had something more in mind for Nebuchadnezzar. Something beyond orderly ducks and an orderly, controlled life. But rather than me tell it, let the good King speak for himself. . . See: Power & Control - Part II I know, O LORD, that a man's life is not his own; it is not for man to direct his steps. (Jer 10:23 - NIV) |
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Send a note to Tim Knappenberger at: knapp@raex.com
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