Belief in God and a Higher Authority
The Lord got up to pace near the window. After a moment, I saw him open a little window. His timing was perfect. In flew a little bird. The Lord made a couple of chirping sounds, and the bird responded and then flew back out.
“Sorry about that, Sam. I had to talk with one of my angels.”
“An angel…I actually saw an angel?”
“Yes, that was a minor angel whom I sent to undertake an errand.”
I was envisioning actors Michael Landon or even John Travolta from the various movie and television angels I had seen, but this looked like an average, every day, little pigeon who could be found on any street in the United States.
“I loved Michael Landon in Highway to Heaven.” The Lord said with a smile. He continued. “I prefer to have inconspicuous messengers and emissaries as I want to catch people doing good things when they think no one is watching. It is those little things that really make a difference. I don’t want to dictate how someone should act, but how they act in private is the key to whether they are really a God-fearing person.”
All the screens went dark. Up on the screens popped images of all these diaries and personal journals. A message was displayed across every screen, “Private Keep Out.” The message came through that what is done in private should remain so, at least that is what I thought.
The Lord continued. “It is so easy to act one way in public and another in private. I love it when a person acts the same way in private as they do in public because then they are being genuine and not faking it for the public. People try to be something different. As the kids say- “fake it until you make it.” But I like keeping things simple. An honest poor person is just as valuable as the biggest movie star who follows my rules. Just like how I value my smallest angels and like how I value an average Joe. I treat them alike in private and public. That is why I hate it– I mean hate it– when people feel others are beneath them because they might be poor or disabled.”
The Lord’s face contorted in disgust, and I could tell that this was something that actually made him very upset.
“Sam, some of my best messengers are actually people you might consider disabled. They are not disabled in my book—they are exceptional, and most people are disabled. Like acting one way in public and differently in private, people see someone who looks disabled and rushes to judgment. In contrast, a true believer in the concept of everyone being created in God’s image will look towards the inside- the hidden qualities- and not judge based on looks, but rather character and actions.”
Up on the screens appeared thousands of pictures of people who I assumed were disabled. That assumption was based on the images, but how was I to know? It is so easy to judge others based on a simple first impression. That is the lazy way out because it helps us categorize people without having to work hard. To really get to know someone takes time, energy, and effort. I was so glad the Lord has time and the ability to help see the inner beauty of people and know what is in their heart and soul.
The Lord gave me a big hug.
“Sam, remember the children’s tale of The Emperor’s New Clothes? People avoid conflict even if it is contrary to the truth. Everyone has a job to do, and that is to emulate goodness. It is so easy to be evil on earth, but I reward goodness. Some folks who engage in inappropriate conduct on earth come here when they die in their human form. I recycle their soul and give them a blank slate. I send back to earth many people who could not make it into Heaven as they need to do something special in your world and then they can enter my Heaven. I often give these individuals a hurdle to overcome, such as a “disability.” to make the journey that much more special for them. They have what some people see as a flaw, but I see it as superpowers—just like Spiderman or the Hulk.”
The Lord looked out as what I assumed was another bird-angel flew by again and chirped.
“Another angel?” I asked.
“Nope, that was just a very happy bird.”
The Lord continued. “That is one reason why so many of the biblical characters have flaws—so people can see that even someone such as Moses with his speech disorder can lead the greatest nation ever. While he might not have spoken as well as you, he was a man of action—consistent action. He acted a certain way when he was in front of the Jewish people, and he acted the same way when he was with me. Consistency is such an important facet of being a manager or leader. He was passionate. Remember when he smote the Egyptian task master to protect his people. Then in front of his future wife he defended her. He was there as the figure who helped the Israelites transform from a depressed and downtrodden group to a community- a team.”
The Lord reflected on his relationship with his top salesperson. “Moses got upset at me and got upset at the Israelites. He wore his feelings on his sleeve and showed them to the people and me. It is about being genuine and transparent. That is true righteousness. Even though I was upset that he hit the stone to extract water for the people rather than speaking to it as I had asked, it wasn’t like he did that in private. In fact, he did it in front of all of Israel. Everyone has a spark of good within them, even an evil person. Evil dictators have sometime been loving mothers or fathers. They act one way in public and another way in private. Just like some act like saints in the public eye, while at home they can beat their spouse, cheat on taxes, steal, and a host of other bad acts. Most people are not purely evil. For example, King David learned just two things from Ahitophel, who, during Absalom’s revolt, deserted David and supported Absalom, and yet King David still called Ahitophel his teacher. You can learn something from even bad people. Thus, even consistently evil people can be teachers. It might be what not to do, but that is also a teaching.”
“Lord, how can we reach the lofty level of Moses? I mean, I cannot see anyone today like Moses and his righteousness. I cannot even fathom being so transparent. Does it all start with believing in you?”
“Sam, the Ten Commandments can serve as a good tool to reach that level. Just ten laws—with the primary one being believing in me.”
“But God, look at all the IRS rules. There are thousands of pages and even with all those rules, people don’t follow them.”
“Sam, do people really believe in the government? Or do they believe in themselves?”
I had to ponder that question and how I would answer it. Of course, some people believe in a government. Also, people believed in themselves—maybe too much. But is believing in government and self-advancement mutually exclusive? I didn’t know the answer.
“Let me put it to you this way, Sam. I invented and helped promote government, for without it people would swallow each other up. The key is a rule of law. To believe in government, there must be laws that are fair, appropriate, and enforced. Similarly, the Ten Commandments are a straightforward set of laws. I created the world with laws and feel truly godly laws are fair, appropriate, and should be enforced. Not everyone sees rules as fair, but that is, again, context, Sam. Think about such rules as speeding zones. The speed limits are established by the government to be fair to all drivers. I know you slow down for the police when you’re speeding to pick up your kids after school, Sam. The problem people have is when the police pull them over and not the other guy. People get upset when the IRS audits them and not their sneaky brother-in-law who is not reporting his gambling wins.”
It sounded like the Lord was talking about his own brother-in-law, but he could not have a brother-in-law…could he?
“It is only me Sam. No in-laws, no outlaws, no drama.” The Lord laughed again.
“What I was trying to get at, Sam, is that government and rules are equally critical, but often how they are executed is where conflict arises. The underlying principle is good, but the execution can be flawed. That does not mean that belief in rules or government should not be followed if they are just. They represent an ideal and hopefully appropriate higher power.”
“So are the Ten Commandments the ideals?” I was a bit confused as we moved from Moses to rules and government.
“Sam, they are all connected. Moses, governments, and people all need rules, and my Ten Commandments can serve as the ideal guide to live a righteous life and to foster true belief in me. The first commandment is to believe in me. People must believe in higher authority such as a true leader or a righteous government. Believing in something that you can’t see, touch, feel, taste, or hear is very difficult—I understand that. That is why there are so many non-believers. I pity them. They have free will to believe in what they want, but to believe in something abstract is so empowering. It is like working hard for a difficult and distant goal. It is all about where someone is on the journey to believe in me, themselves, and others. It reminds me so much of the Rolling Stones song – you know the one! Come on Sam sing it with me…”
The Lord was waiting for me to sing a duet with him. What could I do? I cleared my throat and started singing, The Lord joining in with me: “You can’t always get what you want, you can’t always get what you want…but if you try sometimes, you find, you get what you neeeeeeddddd.”
Here I was singing a duet with the Lord. How surreal.
“Sam, people are always wanting something. Sometimes it is for selfish reasons, sometimes it is for others, but for whatever reason they eventually need to believe in something greater than themselves. I hope it is me, but even if it is not me, if someone helps the poor, helps the elderly, helps the sick, or even helps an employee take care of their family, they are doing my work regardless of whether they believe in me or not at that time. It is like how parents motivate a kid to do something by reverse psychology or motivational techniques where the kid does not want to do anything for the parent, but the parent makes it fun or rewarding and the child wants to do the act—without realizing it is what the parent wanted all along—without the parents asking or having to say anything. The most effective governments and leaders do the same thing. They develop rules that people want to follow because they see the benefit of following those rules.”
I was thinking about how I had potty-trained my kids years ago. Yes, we gave them candy and other rewards when they went, but in the long run, my wife and I were the true beneficiaries because our kids were independent, had a skill, and now we no longer had to change diapers. I was proud, but I was just as relieved that I no longer had to carry around that horrible-looking diaper bag.
“I like that analogy, Sam. And now that your kids have that skill and ability, they believe in you and that you have their best interest at heart. I know the teenage years will be rough, but when they are in their 20s or 30s, you will once again seem so smart to them.”
The Lord laughed at that joke. He laughed like only one who has seen billions of teenagers rebelling against him and his parents could. Maybe he should have had a t-shirt printed that said been there, done that, got the t-shirt.
But it was starting to gel for me. We need rules. We need a higher authority. We need a leader we can trust. With God as the ultimate leader, with his appointed messengers, and with definite rules that anyone could find- there was direction and path for everyone to pursue. The Lord was the highest authority.
The image of Hebrew National hotdog package appeared on the screen. Their prominent slogan resonated in my mind; they report to a higher authority.
That could have made me hungry, but I was focused. “Lord, does the fact that I have taught my kids something makes me a higher authority?”
“Yes. Why not? You can teach them. Anyone who teaches others is a higher authority. That is why if I teach people, I should likewise be considered a higher authority. That brings me back to your original question about whether someone needs to believe in me to do the right thing? Of course. the answer is No!”
That was not the answer I was expecting, but it made perfect sense.
“Sam, with that said, I would love for people to act on their own behalf without having to think I am looking over their shoulder. I want people to think: ‘yes, I can steal and get away with it, but I won’t because I am submitting to the Lord.’ Some people call it the fear of God. Others might just think that it is the right or wrong thing to do. They are probably thinking that they might get caught. That is why the Ten Commandments are so important. They codify not just belief in me, but that there are rules out there that people need to believe in. A manager needs to develop a mindset with their colleagues that the rules they adopt are fair, appropriate, and enforced. Then their employees will believe in them as a true manager.”
I thought about how many rules I have encountered that seemed arbitrary and capricious. Maybe they had meaning, such as the dress code at the office, but if managers did not explain the rules, then employees could be confused or upset that rules are being imposed without a stated rhyme or reason.
“Son, I think most people would agree that the Ten Commandments are fair. Similarly, I think most employees would think a rule requiring people to call in by a certain time if they cannot make it to work is fair. A great manager will have an employee follow such a rule not because of the fear they will be punished -such as lost pay or termination- but because they will be hurting the manager or the team. If they believe in the manager and their team, they will want to do the right thing. As I stated in Deuteronomy 11:22, when someone loves me, they are going outside themselves and embracing something bigger than themselves. A manager needs to be able to foster that same belief in employees. It’s hard but look at the companies out there who have been able to obtain it.”
The Lord looked like he was about to add more, but probably saw the frustration in my eyes as I was trying to remember what he was saying without taking thorough notes as it was hard to keep up with all the insight. After a brief pause, The Lord continued.
“To sum it up Sam, I would love people to believe in me, and my rules developed to help them lead a better life. But if they live a great life without even thinking once about me…I will not lose any sleep.” The Lord smiled and winked, then said: “I never sleep.”
I thought he would be a horrible spokesperson for a mattress company.
“Sam, in terms of managers, they are not me nor should they try to be me. To get employees to believe in them as a higher authority a manager needs to have perceived authority and that is through doing the right things for others. Being just, being fair, and being kind are all important. A manager is not there to always be a friend to others in the workplace. They are there to help colleagues achieve their best. When a manager is backed by appropriate and well developed/communicated rules they can thrive. Managers do not need to be like a god, but they need to be a great facilitator of rules and adjudication. Does that answer your question, Sam?”
“Yes, it does, thank you.”
“You are welcome. What’s next on your list?”
