- When you have a god that is a thing, a god that you can use, an object, neighbors also become things, something to use, objects. With an impersonal god, you end up with an impersonal neighbor. (Eugene Peterson)
- When the LORD is God, we will love our neighbor in our pursuit of giving glory to their Maker, in whose sacred Image they are formed. (Soli Deo Gloria)
- As we interact with other people, we must constantly make judgments about their words and actions so that we can respond to them appropriately. But the Bible warns that we are prone to look for the worst in people at times, and we judge them more critically than they deserve. (Ken Sande)
- A renown religious leader said in a message that others should be treated with dignity and respect, not as objects to exploit or throw away. (Hannah Brockhaus)
- I would rather live my life as if there is a God and die to find out there isn’t, than live as if there isn’t and to die to find out that there is. (Blaise Pascal)
- Any situation in which some men prevent others from engaging in the process of inquiry is one of violence … to alienate humans from their own decision-making is to change them into objects. (Paulo Freire)
TEXT: John 15:12 My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. 13 Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. 14 You are my friends if you do what I command. 15 I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. 16 You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you. 17 This is my command: Love each other.
I am realizing that people who have a history of being dominated, unconsciously assume that having power over others is leadership. It is tragic when individuals internalise other people’s dominating beliefs and their own dependence to the extent that they continue practising the same wrong beliefs. People who have accepted being subdued as normal, roles such as teaching, pastoring, representing others in governance, etc become power positions silencing and subduing others. It then becomes impossible to have genuine transformation and growth in an environment where the system, including the church, learning institutions, governance, among others, silences the people so as to use them, then living the Jesus’ command of loving one another is a tall order. When subjugation is accepted as normal part of a people’s worldview, then it accepted as leadership when manipulation is used to buy loyalty. Worshippers or voters are manipulated so as to remain supportive of what is holding them captive, make them unable to accept genuine love or love others. One has to reflect carefully and examine the normalised beliefs that could be contrary to living word of God. Dominance, whether in religious set up or politics or elsewhere, result in pain, trauma, and erosion of self-esteem. People shouting victory, while in reality they are in chains are unlikely to know authentic friendship which is foundational to Christian faith. Can the mission that brought Jesus Christ on earth be accomplished where love and friendship are unknown?
CHRISTIAN FAITH IS INCOMPATIBLE WITH DOMINATION
Love– At the core, the heart or human centre of choices is a deep appreciation of who God the Creator of heaven and earth is. God made it clear to the Israelites that their effective occupation of the land He was giving them was to be based on uncontested love of God. A strong emotional affection for God that make one, desire, delight in, or be fond of who God is. ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one] 5 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. 6 These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. (Deuteronomy 6:4-6). Jesus Christ upheld and has lit the love-based model as basic to interpersonal relationships. A person whose roots or knowledge is informed by love, honor of God is secure. “They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.” (Jeremiah 17:8).
Inherent worth of human beings– Human beings are created in the image and likeness of God (Genesis 1:26-28). The economic or social disadvantages and limitations do not take away God’s DNA from those He has created.
Satan’s subtle strategy – Comparing self with others and feeling you are better result in religious piety that prevents the living and transformative relationship with Jesus Christ. Think of Jesus teaching of self-deceived Pharisee who saw himself as righteous compared to the tax collector (Luke 18:10-14). Trusting in self-righteousness while treating others with contempt is to miss the warmth of relationship with Jesus Christ.
Trust in self – Human nature tends to seek to impress by following the laid-out rule. Read the bible, pray, seek fellowship of other believers and win souls for Christ without any attention to the voice of the Holy Spirit. It is easy to be inoculated with the words ‘May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.’ (2 Corinthians 13:14) without any attention of fellowship with the Holy Spirit. That routine may form a wall that keep one from experiencing a living relationship with Jesus Christ. “Christian work may be a means of evading the soul’s concentration on Jesus Christ.” (Oswald Chambers). It is a form of abuse to allow one’s charisma to be used to attract people so as to manipulate them as ‘believers’ or projects for self-promotion. Acting by human strength rather than trusting the provision in God’s voice is manipulation which is generally considered a dishonest form of social influence as it is used at the expense of others.
WHY WOULD A PERSON DOMINATE/SUBDUE ANOTHER?
Cultural conditioning – A child who lacks attention necessary for healthy growth tends to internalise fears that make them be in an anxiety mode, self-doubting, lacking in confidence and so try to assert power over others and control situations. They tend to worry that things will go wrong if they do not maintain control. Insecurity inculcated early childhood when the basics of life are being formed guide people to seek opportunity to assert power over others and control situations. They may do this out of anxiety because they cannot trust others or situations. When the internalized fear is adopted as the guideline of life, dominating others Is assumed to be normal. The word of God, though read can be unconsciously ignored. Trust in the Lord can sound like invitation to use God to gain power that enable one to remain in control.
The fear of newness – Though fear of change is our natural way of reacting to new and unfamiliar situations, one has to take the risk and courage to attempt into the unknown, otherwise one remains stuck. Quick, fearful assigning of meaning to what one does not understand to a kind of stone deafness, where one assumes their own voice or view is what best represents the other. This fear of newness, whether it is people, food, places or ideas, is a maladaptive coping mechanism and when confronted with new experiences, the fear response exceeds the scope of any realistic threat. Treating others as objects to be subdued is a convenient method of avoiding the discomfort of empathy and helps the person avoid feelings of guilt or shame when doing things contrary to the embraced values.
Self-protection – This occurs when people put others in different compartments or layers. The ones closer to Jesus Christ, or the ones whose prayers are heard by God or the one’s able to bless and curse and so on. Mentally one seeks not only to emphasize the difference, but to consider the difference as negative. That allows the person treat the other as not having the same kind of joy or pain, or fear. another is seen as an object without considering their feelings. If some people are viewed as not having what it takes to be a ‘kingdom of God material’ then it is much easier to just use them for whatever you want/need without regard for them. We must keep asking ourselves ‘Who am I to be evaluating others negatively? Have I known the forgiveness of sin and the mercy of God?
THE DECEPTION AND INCOMPATIBILITY OF TREATING PEOPLE AS OBJECTS WITH THE KINGDOM OF GOD VALUES.
Transactional relationship – People that have been denied love in their childhood and growing years, find it harder to trust others and respond to love. When such people respond to the call for salvation, without the process of discipleship, they tend to have superficial relationship with God. They can be Christians for many years and firmly believe that all people need to trust in Christ as their Savior to receive eternal life and spend eternity with Christ. However, such a decision can be transactional at its heart: Have faith in Jesus not so much because of who he is but because of what he will do for you. ‘Most Christians believe that the primary purpose of salvation is to avoid hell. That may have been what you were taught, but it’s not what the Bible teaches. In fact, that kind of thinking serves to inoculate people from the truth of the Gospel concerning salvation. . . Because salvation is about having a relationship with God. God’s main reason for sending Jesus was to restore fellowship.’ (Andrew Wommack)
Nourishing the greed spirit – Greed, that intense, unquenchable and selfish desire can take the form hunger and craving for more things, more fame, attention, compliments, gifts, another person’s time, and more, has toppled God’s anointed, highly paid executives, brought down giant churches and organizations, and cost thousands of workers their jobs and retirement funds. This greed spirit framed at times manifestation of God’s blessing, is what Jesus warned against. ‘Then Jesus said to them, “Watch out! Guard yourself against all kinds of greed. After all, one’s life isn’t determined by one’s possessions, even when someone is very wealthy.” (Luke 12:15). The unrestrained greed in church or state, or other places of human interaction could be greater threat than terrorism. Greed spirit entices people with the belief that they would be happier if they had more money, more converts result in more tithe, more magnificent buildings that are the talk of town, more things, and more power. This belief creates discontent and a growing desire to do whatever it takes to gain what is viewed as what is missing. Corruption is what manifest that the spirit in operation is greed not Holy Spirit. But the Bible commands us to trust in God, not in “uncertain riches” (1 Timothy 6:17).
Zeal with roots in the systems but not on Christ– The moment the mind has accepted that some people are there to support the dream of others as tithers or tax payers, then the issue of a relationship with Jesus Christ is pushed back. People are object or projects ticked as achievement. People who implicitly see others as object-like are at greater risk of acting violently towards them. It is frightening to imagine that it is possible to be a world renown evangelist/ preacher, or bishop, drawing millions of people to faith, but have no living relationship with Jesus Christ. When the thinking is to obey rules, no prayer as a cry from the heart but as a rule keeping expectation, no reflection, but lifeless obedience to the rules. It is a wilderness difficult to get out because one is so convinced of being right that they will not recognise signals calling them to the saving grace of the Lord. The salvation story is lost while God’s name is used in vain. (Exodus 20:7). It is the 17th-century philosopher and theologian Blaise Pascal who said, “Men never do evil so completely and cheerfully as when they do it from religious conviction“.
Whether the attitude of viewing people as objects or projects is inherited or modelled or learnt, it has no place for those inheriting the kingdom of God. Love is the key ingredient of the Christian faith. Love God, Love neighbor is the basic motivation. Saving souls or rescuing sinners from hell fire, are profound but may not be assurance of eternity with Christ. Becoming a disciple whose love for God is deepening as one experiences a walk with Jeus Christ is what the bible teaches. The individuals back history of parents, social upbringing, real thoughts, sad experiences, frustrations and silly belief systems are always well camouflaged by the people to pretend as the best – these hard-core facts stand unrevealed for years and for the shrewd and manipulative minds it’s a child’s play to pretend someone and be someone else. And when they hide so well their narrow-minded thoughts and have learned back stabbing then let’s face the truth they are incorrigible. Treating people as projects or part of an objective to be accomplished in alignment with the strategic plan may be efficient but may subtly keep you feeling secure on a path parallel to the one Christ prescribes. To assume that one can hide his/her motives from God is to fall on the trap of Achan (Joshua 7). Know God by meditating on the written word, allowing the fellowship of the Holy Spirit and in prayer have those divine conversations. Love one another, forgive one another, confess your sins one to another, allow benefit of doubt instead of quick labelling and attaching motive to others actions. Take time to listen carefully to people. Empathise with people instead of setting self-centred objectives and then attaching Christ as a tag. Might you and I be contributing to human problems that stem from the fact that people are treated as things and projects?
‘We do not treat people like people very often. Instead, we often treat others as objects. We are only interested in them for what they can do for us. And sometimes we treat people as projects.’ (Jim Petersen)