Lawlessness - America Part III

Lawlessness – the law of retaliation (Lex Talionis)

We are living in discerning times these days in America. What was once a concerning matter has become a matter fallen to the wayside and hardly ever spoken out loud about. For that matter, these are now more disconcerting times than ever. Yet the alarm bells are not ringing as loud as they should be and people are not yet up in arms about the matters around them. What should be is rather not all like it was or has been either past or present.

Now people are asking what to do about these times before us. Nobody is asking how it should be and why we have strayed from this path that once served us well and peacefully. Have we simply ignored the signs of the messages written on the walls or do we no longer care? Better yet, what are the answers to the lawlessness around us? Are we not peacemakers and peacekeepers in this society and does it not require us to maintain the peace through the means allowed by law and order?

There appears to be a prophecy of disrespect for the law. There appears to be a rampant feeling or culture growing that grossly disrespects our way of life and the threats coming onto us are not just from within but also from outside our country. Those who provoke from the inside appear to be paid hoodlums or protestors who are recruited to bring hate and chaos to the streets. Through their own confessions, they are hired, lawless thugs to do the work of the devil and cause people to live in fear and agony.

On the other hand, these variously politically motivated prophesies calls for action and demands we do something about this turmoil and distinctive anti-Christian blasphemy and discrimination that is happening in our land. For some reason, Christians have been singled out to be the target of hate and suffering through prosecution and persecution by the government and corporate means. One can only suspect that rich and powerful people are the ones provoking the poor to divide the communities even more than this class warfare has already done. Let the truth be told that this is how the hate was created.

Today, men, women, and children are afraid to walk down the streets without being killed, raped, accosted or assaulted merely for being out there and attacked for no reason. No longer is prayer allowed in our schools or mentioned out loud in meetings or halls. Some states are removing the Ten Commandments and saying that they are not allowed to be displayed publicly when for almost two centuries, they resembled our moral and ethos standards this country was built on.

Our national anthem is under attack as those who protest our wars, our social justice policies and our way of life kneel rather than stand when our flag is brought forward by those brave men and women who wear their uniform proudly and stand between war and peace, good and evil and life and death. Thus, it seems we are under attack and subject to the moral judgment of others who do not favor our beliefs or our rights to equality under the law and the protection to seek the pursuit of happiness like before.

There are certainly several prophecies that seek to destroy our self-respect and the delicate existence of our humanity. There are also those who seek to destroy our way of life as Christians and give or submit to another religion that is more dominant and not at all aligned with American cultures, customs, and traditions. This conflict has brought us great pain and sorrow and when the judgment comes, people fear that if they speak out they will be arrested for an alleged ‘hate crime’ that was once protected under our freedom of speech act.

Lawlessness is a big problem today. It challenges our way of life every day we walk out of our homes and into the streets. In fact, even our homes are no longer safe as home invasions are frequent and the police assigned to protect and serve cannot respond fast enough to prevent or intervene with these type of crimes as they are burdened with the violence in the streets and sidewalks. These tactics to preoccupy the cops are just another way to give the thugs and thieves the run of the streets and find their prey.

These lawless thugs seem to promote hate and violence for a reason. Their objective is to disrupt and instill fear on the people who want to live in peace. They don’t respect the rights of others as they demonstrate their vile and vicious behaviors by stomping on our flag and attacking people who are gathered to exercise their rights of speech and whether politically or religiously motivated, they interrupt their voices by voicing their own above those who want to speak their mind as allowed by our laws and freedoms.

So where are we on this matter of lawlessness and justice for the noble and humble peacemakers. Where do we stand between the calling of justice and freedom? Do we tend to promote violence through the point of tolerances and caution or do we satisfy our own needs through the law of retaliation and seek justice where justice has failed?  Have we taken the point of tolerances too far and have become weak? We must be sure that whatever course we take, we take the course of understanding and promote peace, not war and harmony,and lastly never dominance or tyranny.

What are we allowed to do to stand guard on our freedoms and how do we reject this intrusion of peace by those who carry things too far. We know that these thugs and protesters are taught and paid by those who prophesize war and disorder. We know there are many false teachers out there promoting hate rather than love. Already we can foresee and forestall all wars and commotions. The writings are on the walls and yet nobody speaks.

From the time we were rejected and disrespected, we should rise up and fight this wrongful attack on our civilization and freedoms. Let us hear the messengers of peace as we reject the hate and listen to the truth that under law, we can carry our swords to protect each other. We should not let them defeat us and take us from our homes. The sword should never be departed and carried along the side to keep us safe. Let those who refuse the gospel find justice in the manner we fight them. Let them see that although we come as messengers of peace, we are quite prepared to become a soldier and become the messengers for war. For there can be no peace without war as the heart is only trusting when the conflict is under control.

But if we are to keep the faith and become the messengers of war, let our hearts be fixed in trusting God. For if we stay within the eye of faith and keep peace in mind, we shall not be afraid or walk around with troubled hearts. Even during troublous times, when we accept Christ as our Savior, we know that we shall endure fair justice to the end.

We shall avoid all the misery of this lawlessness around us and ruin their attempts to attack us in broad daylight or at night, in our homes or on the streets. There shall be earthly judgments and the beginning of sorrows but in the end, we shall prevail and suffer no more. We know that our Lord foretells the preachings of love, charity, and hope as the gospel. We also know that the world will not end until the gospel’s work has been done and in Christ, we no longer fear the evil as their ruins are coming and coming down hard. As peacemakers, we can find comfort in our consolation for peace; we can seek comfort in our conduct as we protect what is rightfully ours.

Though we must take what God has given us, we know that the day’s end of our enemies is near. We shall make their days shorter as our days grow longer with all that is hateful and wrong cut off from our world. We recognize the power of the gospel, we see the sins of evil, greed, and lust. Surely we can recognize the signs of whatever is out of reason and reduce the suffering through prayer as we hold steadfast against this evil. In times of public trouble, we must gather our strengths and keep an eye of faith in the middle of our mind. Through the necessity of life and safety, we gather our forces to serve our own purpose rather then submits to theirs. We are good men, women, and children who wish to remain peaceful but when pushed back by these lawless acts, must defend ourselves and retaliate according to the principles allowed under our laws.

We should preach our faith in the open. We must not fear the deed of those who carry with them the flames of hate and anger. Let us show due diligence and make our day of judgment show the coming of our Lord and know that no enemy, no deceiver shall ever prevail against us. Let us show that those who perseveres to the end shall be saved and those who are misled by false prophets shall vanish into the flames of hell and be around us no more.

Law of Retaliation [Lex Talionis]

A follow up on Blessed are the peacemakers - the genesis of such judicial concept in my own words and perspectives. It may be flawed but then, religiously based writings usually are.
Law of Retaliation [Lex Talionis]
(Matthew 5:38-42)
Much has been said about the blessings of the peacemakers in our society today. The fact that I feel this is something important to write about is based on the fact that the law of retaliation is very applicable to many scenarios or situations today as well as they were back in the Old Testament days.
Let me make my purpose clear why I am writing about the “Lex Talionis” or the ‘law of retaliation’ as it sits within our justices system today. We are talking specifically about retributive justice, in the phrase of ‘an eye for an eye’ from Exodus 21:23-27. The basis for this law is the foundation of punishment and must be considered to be a root value of our society as it is written for us to follow.
The basis for this form of law is the principle of ‘proportionate punishment’ or as we usually say in today’s words, ‘let the punishment fit the crime.’ The problem with such ideology is that the punishment may not be at all proportionate in certain ways. This calls for a discretionary decision to value the loss versus the punishment.
In none biblical terms, this is the law often applied in cases where the principle is designed to give or provide equitable retaliation for an offended party. Straying away from the Old Testament, we began to see various definitions come out of this traditional law including those words spoken by Jesus on the Sermon on the Mound where he preached to ‘turn the other cheek’ rather than the ‘eye for an eye’ approach but offered a monetary compensation offer rather than violence upon another. On the other end of the spectrum, we have Islam that has a code that has been taken more literally as a thief may lose his hand in punishment for such an act.
Simplifying this process, as Christians, we are taught that the difference between Christianity and Islam is simple: Christianity teaches that when struck you should turn the other cheek; however, Islam teaches that when you are struck you strike him back – this is better for you and the other person involved. One can begin to see a wide gap in the meaning of the different worlds involved already. It really becomes an issue of who or what is the appropriate authority on the matter when the punishment is handed out.
Under the law of retaliation, we are taught to strike back, get even or do unto others like they did to you. This is the basic rule of law for the justification for doing what is actually a retaliatory act. For many, this appeals to them as the right way to handle most situations where an injustice has been committed or done especially if this harm was personal and not just offending but embarrassing or humiliating as well.
Perhaps, we can readily see how this could go wrong as a retaliatory strike and do away with justice. So as it stands, turning the other cheek may, in fact, be a profound way to settle the score in a more practical manner and in the meantime, avoid further conflict, oppression and the needs of everyday life.
Thus, in the end, reasonable men follow Jesus’ teachings in confronting the words of the Old Testament and the law of retaliation. Here the ‘Lex Talionis’ has been softened up a bit to give it a more practical and less harsh meaning that before.
Why do we follow the words of Jesus and not the Old Testament you ask? Let us compare societies from the past with today’s cultural and dynamic influences. Without taking it to the ‘edge of the possibilities’ we see how our ethical limits are now imposed by our laws.
Laws that defy the old way of ancient situations where you and your family lived without a formal justice system in place, no regulatory police force to enforce the laws equally and no courts set up by local, state or federal levels to guarantee your rights are being upheld through due process. There are no kings or other higher authorities looming to rule over you. It is you and your laws to follow and work out some sort of retribution. A settlement that is fair and equitable on all counts without doing any more harm that has already been done. Every law has a sanction that has bee created or drafted and passed with due diligence and to the satisfaction of the people as well as the government.
In ancient days, whenever a crime was committed, you had to take the law into your own hands and inflict the punishment because there was no police to arrest the offender, no courts to impose punishment and no end to the madness as it was nothing more than a cycle of violence that never ended. Something that was likely to end up in a feud that lasted forever.
Thus under this Mosiac law of “lex talionis,” it was a real advancement of society as it addressed the cause of justice through a tribunal hearing and seek the appropriate punishment. But what should the appropriate punishment be in the case of murder or maiming? This is where the law comes into play: “a life for a life,” “an eye for an eye,” “a tooth for a tooth.”
The punishment must fit the crime – no more than the crime but also no less. It was strict but fair. It was also designed to prevent and deter such crimes. It was there to remove punitive actions for crimes from the hands of the victim and his family and put them into the hands of the governing judicial system. It was designed as a principle of proportional justice. It was also designed to suitably punish the offender. This is the irony and abuse of how people misunderstand this law. It is misunderstood now the same way it was misunderstood at the time of Jesus. A law that was designed to prevent actions of personal retaliatory revenge is used to justify it!
Under the teachings of Jesus, the Son of God is trying to avoid confrontation and get away from the old ways of teaching the ‘eye for an eye’ and the mindset that is associated with such thinking. Let me make it very clear that God wants us to take actions of personal revenge out of our hands. We can turn them over to the governmental authorities if appropriate, and even if that doesn’t work, we need to turn them over to God Himself.
As we learn more about the words of Jesus, we see the genesis of the role of the peacemakers and the peacekeepers. By contrasting the old ways, we have formulated a system that allows justice to be handled in a more structured way rather than emotionally and often irrationally as crimes stimulate the emotions quicker than most other things around us. Jesus has a different perspective. He addresses the issue on what you should do if offenses of conflict or insult happen to you. Jesus, in my view, addresses not what the court or government should do, but what a disciple should do when he or she is offended. Keep in mind that Jesus was comparing his system of righteousness with that of the scribes and Pharisees. This is an important point to hold onto as much as you can to keep things in perspective.
When we are confronted with situations when we are offended, when we are insulted, we have two choices: we can escalate the conflict with retaliation, or we can de-escalate the conflict. We can be a “warmaker” or a peacemaker. Jesus said in the beatitudes, “Blessed are the peacemakers for they shall be called sons of God” (Matthew 5:9).
We are peacemakers when we de-escalate these situations of conflict and extend a blessing instead. When we turn the other cheek, we are a peacemaker. When we forego the lawsuit, we are a peacemaker. When we go the extra mile, we are a peacemaker. When we give to our brother in need, we are a peacemaker.
Now we come down to the applicability and practical aspect of this most difficult part of applying the teachings of Jesus. What is the scope of applicability here? It can be applied to a lot more situations than we may want it to apply and what we are comfortable with at the time.
Peter writes, “Finally, all of you be of one mind, having compassion for one another; love as brothers, be tenderhearted, be courteous; 9 not returning evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary blessing, knowing that you were called to this, that you may inherit a blessing (1 Peter 3:8-9). Strangely, this parable does not apply to war or capital punishment. For some reason, it has been left out of that scope of applicability.

Leadership - don't be a wimp

Leadership – Don’t be a Wimp

Leaders have faith in people. They believe in them. They have found that others will rise to high expectations. R O B E R T  K . G R E E N L E A F

True leadership sets clear and concise expectations. It communicates information and holds people accountable for what they are selected to do. Being direct and setting expectations isn’t being mean. It’s about what you expect of them and their work. There should be no doubt who you want on your team and at the same time, retain your desire to maintain clear and concise communication with them about what you expect them to do.

In most cases, people do not like to be left in the dark. Nobody appreciates or accepts a leader who provide you more ambiguity than facts. This leads to shoddy work performance and missed deadlines. Once you implied that failure is acceptable, you have lost your position as a leader. At the same time, one you have allowed a team member to consistently miss work assignment or projects, you have allowed that member to drag down the team and impact both morale and confidence of the whole team in your ability to lead.

Making exceptions and not knowing where you stand makes people anxious and stresses them out. It is a distraction you don’t need. Don’t leave your expectations to be unspoken. Express them up front to avoid failures. Remaining silent on your expectation is pure neglect to the team’s ability to get things done. Don’t feed into the negativity by remaining quiet. If you don’t talk about expectations, you have a major problem when it pops up and then take it out of the team because they never delivered what you expected out of them.

Not knowing where they stand, what they are expected to do and when it needs to get done are all the kind of things that makes them anxious and unhappy. It allows them to think you are being unkind to them and treating them with less respect they deserve. Being lazy or a little bit hazy about communicating to your team is a major problem with most leaders. Silence, in this case, is not golden. What makes it worse it when the failure comes, you yell at them about something they had no prior knowledge of as you never shared the expectation with them openly and candidly.

Good leaders know ahead of time that before any project begins, they need to take the time to set a clear and definitive expectations from the start. There are so many other issues that may come up along the way and this ambiguity can forestall many problems if the team is on the same page as their leader. Wimpy leaders prefer ambiguity over clarity. It gives them more room to maneuver and make decisions that would otherwise be cast in stone or within a line of thought that was a clear expectation.

Being vague or abstruse always leaves something else at someone else’s expense. There is always a cost to such styles of leadership. One can clearly see the advantage of putting a project in writing as it is a more positive projection of both goals and objectives as well as the timeline, as well as the accountability factor and expectations set forth in such an assignment.

If we are continually setting expectations ‘off the cuff,’ we may paint a ‘too rosy of picture.’ In reality, both are flawed designed initiatives and not dealing with the reality of leadership principles. Initially, team members are energized by all of these grandiose ideas and promises of impressive things to come. However, once they realize these vague guarantees are mostly hollow, they lose faith in the leadership.

A good leader knows when to ask for input and or give directions on expectations without input. There is a time for asking for feedback and a time for executive directions. Being a leader who chooses to be direct in telling the team what you require of them is a set expectation of a leader. It should not come as a surprise that being direct is part of the job. On the other hand, a wimpy leader may use a more passive dialogue to make people comfortable rather than direct language. For some reason, some leaders feel that this ‘soft’ approach is better when in fact, it is just plain weak and wishy-washy for many to accept as a clear expectation of their own work.

There should be no open-ended questions. There should be no open-ended tasks. There should be politeness and respectful demeanor but with directness that everyone can appreciate and understand. What it comes down to is this – can I or can’t I trust this person to do this and if not, do I need to get or find another person? The leaders should have that option on the table at all times. You either trust someone or you don’t. Leadership recognizes this principle as a necessity to get things done. If you don’t trust somebody to get it done, find a different person.

We shouldn’t put up with a lack of accountability in our own teams. We shouldn’t retain them until we can’t stand them anymore. If they don’t fit the need, find somebody else who fits the assignment and don’t frustrate yourself with making excuses for that person who can’t get it done. If the person you don’t trust is or remains to be a viable option, talk to them, reiterate what the expectations are and then allow them to withdraw from the project or commit to it. Let them experience their own accountability through their own natural consequences of their actions and deal with that at the right time.

When you find a person you can’t trust, it is best to inspect them before you expect them to do a job. What that means is simply take the time to trust but verify. Do a follow up or numerous follow-ups to inspect their work progress. Don’t fear being labeled a ‘micro-manager’ in such cases. The fact is, the other team members know the flaws of the person better than you do and understand such a cautious approach. Holding someone accountable is your job.  Giving them input is your job as well as giving them the opportunity to do the work up to your expectations.

When you lead them in a constructive, trusting manner, you simply make them better workers and reinforce the organization’s ethos and culture. Remember that your leadership is a brand. It is your reputation so if you need to verify, follow-up, and ensure quality and consistency of the employee, then leave it up to the methods required to ensure such an outcome. Everyone is different and all require different methods. You can create consistency in them by creating having consistent methods and procedures in place that can be counted on the be there for the team to benefit from.

Mutual responsibility is at the core of accountability; the bonus is not solely on the person who leads to provide direction. It is equally the duty of the leader and team member to hold each other accountable. There are things the leader must provide and other things the team member must provide – clear expectations, and those needed resources must be identified as well as the timeline and deadline to get things finished up and completed. Quality and timely work is still job one in most cases.

A good leader never hesitates to ‘spank’ an employee for doing something wrong. Now, being spanked can take on various meanings but constructively spoken, it merely means to be held accountable for their actions. This makes the employee stronger as well as the team. It creates a bond that is hard to break up under duress and stress as time wears on all involved but the trust and the accountability never erodes to the point of mistrusting each other’s efforts. One without the other shows we don’t care and every team member needs to know that their leader cares.

A good leader holds himself or herself accountable as they look into the mirror and identify their own attributes and contributions to the expectations. Once a leader sees their own position, they know how the others stack up in their relative roles or positions as a team. Wimpy leader often point out the faults of their team members to avoid looking bad themselves. They want to convince the boss and others it was their wrongdoing that caused the failure. Almost instantly, they want to change the behavior of the team rather than the behavior of themselves.

Team leaders who set high standards for themselves will often see a significant improvement in the team and at the same time, members will be more readily to accept their oversight and input when you become trustworthy of their confidence and respect in you. Some leaders impose the burdens of the expectation on themselves rather than the team and that works in the eyes of those who follow him or her.

As leaders, we have a responsibility to correct and motivate those entrusted to our stewardship. A servant leader is responsible for his people and all those assigned to the relative project or department. If something needs to be discussed with a team member, it is the leadership’s responsibility, not that of an outsider or a person delegated to do so.

This is very harmful to the credibility of the leader and cause ripples of doubt in the team’s circle of trust of their leader. Nobody likes corrective action being delivered by someone not a member of their own team. It is considered being disrespectful and often taken with the wrong attitude or intention of the act itself. Many call this act ‘passing the buck’ and a good leader knows the buck stops with them. Some people will say that if you treat people well, they will return the favor and if you treat them poorly, they will also return the favor as that is what karma says is a natural consequence of such an act.