Despotism of the heart
The other day a friend emailed me this quotation on despotism by Alexis-Charles-Henri Clérel de Tocqueville:
” …each man is haunted by a fear of sinking to a lower social level and by a restless urge to better his condition. And since money has not only become to sole criterion of man’s social status…everybody is intent on making it, or if already rich, on keeping his wealth intact. Love of gain, a fondness for business careers, the desire to get rich at all costs, a craving for material comfort and easy living quickly become the ruling passions under a despotic government…Despotism alone can provide that atmosphere of secrecy which favours crooked dealings and enables the freebooters of finance to make illicit fortunes. Under other forms of government such propensities exist, undoubtedly; under despotism they are given free reign”.
The definition of despotism fits in well with the condition that the human heart was left in after what happened in the Garden of Eden. However, everyday we stand at the brink of the solution: when you replace ‘love of gain’ with ‘love of God’ the Holy Spirit will begin to transform your life from a series meaningless acts of acquisition to meaningful acts of becoming more of who you were made to be.
Perhaps we should credit the American mode of individualism, patriotism, and conspicuous consumption as an ugly but effective diagnostic and mirror into the human condition and the God-size hole that exists in every human heart.
I think that the problem that many of us feel with the political choices that we are given is that they do not represent the truer and richer reality that we have adopted (one that exists outside of nationalism and that has put aside independence as a myth). Our politics ask us to put out a fire and then gives us a choice between gasoline or jet fuel to do the job. Constantly having to choose between the lesser of two evils is still choosing evil, so where does that lead?
- Written by Matt Brown
September 8th, 2008 at 9:56 am
Where does that lead? I think it leads to apathy. According to a U.S. Census press release (http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/voting/004986.html) 64% of Americans turned out to vote in the 2004 election. People die world-wide for the right to vote, and 36% of Americans couldn’t be bothered to take the time during the last presidential election. And, really, can you blame them? I wouldn’t want to pour jet fuel OR gasoline on that fire. Much better to stay home and watch the poll results and complain about how unfair our electoral college system is.
September 8th, 2008 at 11:27 am
Apathy is not the worst problem. When you have to choose between the lesser of two evils, then you become cynical. Your choice hinges on your prejudices and preconceived notions. There is no room for discipline, because choosing an evil is about giving into an appetite.
September 8th, 2008 at 11:04 pm
So what’s the answer? Should followers of Christ not vote unless someone meets all of their specifications? I think almost any time we are called to choose between 2 options, we can look at it as choosing the lesser of two evils or the better of two broken individuals.
You said choosing an evil is about giving into an appetite. Tell me about that.
September 9th, 2008 at 4:01 pm
Voting or not voting is really not the point. The issue of voting is only the point in that it is the particle around which the conversation is framed. The point is always having to choose an evil. So, I have been studying what to do and this is what I found:
1 Thessalonians Chapter 5:16-22
Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.
Do not put out the Spirit’s fire; do not treat prophecies with contempt. Test everything. Hold on to the good. Avoid every kind of evil.
Ok, so the world system will try to wear us down and will try to make us into its own image. We however, must stay in the world and work for the kingdom of God. That means making choices. That means choosing the subjective lesser of two evils. The choice may not matter as much as the frame from which it is made. Meaning, the most important thing we need to do is to seek out God.
As Paul writes in Philippians: Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.
I know two Godly men, one will vote for McCain and one will vote for O’Bama, but both men have aligned their lives with God.
September 9th, 2008 at 10:01 pm
I agree. I think that in all we do, voting or abstaining, serving in the military or becoming a pacifist, etc., we need to be seeking the will of God. Having a God’s Kingdom perspective is the only antidote I can see that will counteract the inertia caused by apathy/cynicism.