The phrase "Capture the boss" holds a special place in the business world. It refers to the tendency of coporate subordinates to "protect" the "boss", or the "head" of that organization from news, events, or any other "exposure" of "negative" information which might have and adverse "effect", or otherwise distasteful "reaction" from him. This, of course, is all done with the Boss's "best interests in mind"!
This "shielding" from reality, while it may "appear" from noble motives, has the effect of "numbing" the "sensitivities" of the "head" decision-maker for the firm. A "bubble-effect" occurs wherein "reality" is "filtered" or "managed". The resultant "choices" made from such a "slanted" bias, tend toward the obscure - as "irrelevant". This "insulation", or "prophylactic-effect", becomes as self-motivating as it was always self-centered. And, as our choices dictate our actions, which in turn create character; we become less & less aware of our own myopia. Blindness usually leads to stumbling.
But is this autocratic "loss-prevention", or "damage-control", always involuntary? Is it always created by others? Or can it also be generated autonomously - by the "head" himself? And if so, would this not be a form of "suicide"? And is there any prominant example of this that will illustrate the inherent dangers of such a condition?
Today is Monday, March 13, 1995. This morning I caught just a glimpse of a "C-Span" television symposium on "Character" given by a well-known columnist, Tom Wick. Aparently Mr. Wick has published some books on the subject and was commenting regarding a question which was addressed to him and some collegues regarding former President Nixon. The question was asked, "During the Watergate incident, Did President Nixon have a close friend or "confidante"? Someone who was close enough, and from whom he would HEED HARD CRITICISM?" Mr. Wick, after conferring with the other "expert" panelists, answered that, "No, he had not!". He then continued to expound on this "character flaw" in the "head" of the largest "organism" on earth - the federal government of the United States! By this time I had turned the channel.
But I got to thinking about this, and how this seems to be common! Who wants to listen to "harshness"? Who is willing to "tolerate" criticism? Who NEEDS to? Only those with CRITICAL decicions!
The Bible is FULL of "Wisdom" Literature, or "Wise Council"! But who's listening? It's a though the "decisions" regarding the destiny of our souls aren't as important as those of our everday, run-of-the-mill, "Ho-hum", garden-variety, [one-day's-much-the-same-as-the-next!], mortal, "lives". I mean... what *IS* it about mortality that "poo-poo's" Imortality as non-consequential? Just where do we think we go from here, anyway? And everyone KNOWS that our "choices" [decisions] HERE will dictate at least PART of our existance THERE!
Can a Christian "suffer" from "Capture The Boss Syndrom"? And, if so; What does all this have to do with Christ as "Head" [Lord-Ship] of our life? Do we have a "confidante" in Jesus Christ that we Trust so much we can tell Him ANYTHING - and DO?; and that we will ALSO Listen to - even when what He Has to Say to us is Harsh? Will we "HEED" His "HARD CRITICISM"? And just what might happen to US [unlike former President Nixon] ...if we DON'T?
Well, if this sort of thing "appeared" as a "character flaw" in Nixon [during a time of extreem testing!], are there similar "Character flaws" in me that won't "stand" the "test" of "scrutiny"?
I have been told that the word "sincerity" comes from two words [latin?] that have a literal meaning, "without wax!". Why? Well, the story goes like this; At the Egyptian quarries where giant stones were sold [after cutting], some stones were found to reveal "fissures" or "cracks" in their structure which had escaped the notice of the quarrymaster PRIOR to cutting. As you can imagine, a great deal of time, energy and cost had, nonetheless, gone into the cutting of these stones. In order to sell them without taking a loss, the quarrymasters would occasionally pour molten wax into the crevices and then "sand" them over with "filings" from the cutting process. To any casual eye, the fissures and flaws disappeared! But later - [sometimes AFTER the stone had been used in construction!] - when the sun and wind and exposure bore upon ["tested"] that stone, it's "TRUE CHARACTER" ["nature"] was uncovered! Hence was "born" the expression, "without-wax", as a mark [or guarantor] of the "sincerity" that the stone was [on the INSIDE] as represented on the OUTSIDE! "Sincerity" means "as REPRESENTED, so it *IS*!". ["Integrity", on the other hand, means "soundness" - or "able to withstand, or "endure! It was this "integrity" a man "depended upon" in a stone of "such [apparent] strength"! Such a stone COULD withstand "exposure" and "ENDURE"!].
So we "see" that the true "test" of Character is to "endure" [to "end"] as "stated" ["begun"]. So it is that "cover-ups" ONLY beg to be revealed by the "fire" of "exposure-by-test"! Just as Jesus has Said that His "sheep" Hear Him ["as STATED"], so ALSO He has made it Clear that His Disciples are NOT those who merely Hear - but "understand" and DO His Words ["so END"]! So, the Proof is in the "acid" test of Character-Behavior! And Christ Warns we are "Saved *IF!* we ENDURE [abide in & prove His Word!] to the END!" [Mt 24:13, Mk 13:13].
Who's the "Boss" of me? If I say Jesus Christ, and do not PROVE HIM - I lie! If I [His "subordinate"] "Capture" Him - by either not Confessing "hard things" Him, or by refusing to allow Him to Tell me "Hard Criticisms" [not listening to Him] - my Character is NOT as Represented, and not only am I lying - but I am making Christ out to be a Liar! If Christ *IS* my "Boss" [my "Head"], HIS Character OUGHT to be Visible in me! That is, I OUGHT to be able to "endure" even the "Impossible" for man - as "it is not I but CHRIST WHo Lives in me!" And since my "belief" is ALWAYS my "behavior" - [we DO what we [truly] BELIEVE!] - one only has to look at my attitudes, actions, choices and deportment to "see" my "faith" [or lack of it]. In THIS respect, then, [and especially as God Sees ALL!], ...who's "kidding" Whom?
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