Why don't I like people?
I'm referring to specific people here, not everyone in general. Is it wrong to dislike someone? I would tend to think yes, because our dislike of certain people stems from our disliking of some of their personality traits, which we ourselves do share in ways we are not aware of, or hypocritically ignore. So since we are just as wrong, or just as bad, we should feel bad for the people we don't like, and strive to like something about them, to assist us in genuinely loving them in spite, or perhaps even because of, their flaws.
Easy to say in practice. But some people do their level best to knock us down on any given opportunity. I recall the story of the Martyr Sebastian, who was a praetorian under one emperor, and executed under the next, whom did not tolerate Christianity. Sebastian was shot full of arrows, but, by the grace of God, survived the shooting. After he healed, he returned to the emperors court and admonished the emperor for what he had done, after which, of course, he was executed. I wonder if Sebastian liked the emperor who killed him, or only loved him. It is so much easier to love than to like. I don't understand either concept well enough to define them, but if asked about, for instance, my sister, I definitely love her, but I have never liked her.
There is only one person at work that I don't like. A supervisor named David. There are times I do enjoy talking with him, but during work he seems to do his level best to be a hypocrite. I was talking with my friend Elizabeth, whom I had not seen in months, at the cash registers, where I was assigned to work. Our conversing was not interrupting the flow of business, but David (all the same) first verbally told me to get back to work (we were talking in between customers), and then physically came over and told Elizabeth that "Webster needs to concentrate on work now." There are some people who would also have shut me down, and more others still who would not have cared, so long as business wasn't interrupted. The others I would have listened to, David (technically my superior) I openly told to back off.
My response to him was "I've seen you have conversations that lasted a half hour", to which he replied, "On my lunch break", and I fired back, "As long as the girl is pretty enough".
A little background: David is a wired guy. I know, I know, I'm the one labeling him but he is. He is thirty, lives in his parents basement, fancies himself a costume designer (he is purportedly quite good), is a big renaissance fair enthusiast...And at one point was soliciting female employees to come over to his house and dress in animal costumes, so he could put lingerie on the costumes and photograph them. Yeah. I'm not making that up.
Also, he (before becoming a supervisor) had a mildly amusing reputation. He would never be at the cashwrap area to help ringing up customers, unless there was a pretty girl in line. It was blatant, and obvious, and most of us just thought it was funny. He also hits up any attractive female he can talk with for a conversation.
At least one co-worker I talked to anticipated my reaction before I had a chance to relate it. David of all people had no right to call me on that. Anyone else, and I would have complied without complaining.
IN theory, we are supposed to submit ourselves to the authority that exists over us, because rebellion is wrong. God will protect us from the wrongdoings of our overlords, and reward us for our suffering when we submit as opposed to resisting.
I'm no better than David, and in principal I have no beef with him when he is not interfering in my life. I tell myself that the only reason I ignore and or refute him is because if I gave into him he would get even worse (I seem to remember this happening before, though I cannot validate the memory, it is more of a feeling I suppose). SO what then? Do I continue to submit even if he gets worse and worse? Even he has superiors, but is it, assuming we are trying to live totally by Gods rules, to even report him to the big bosses? I don't know. Certainly a King exists to protect and defend his subjects, so does the power structure extend in principal to all organizations with centralized higher authority?
The answer I can think of at current is to submit in the intermit, and talk to the bosses afterwards.
I hope that is correct.
Alexey the Sinner.
Easy to say in practice. But some people do their level best to knock us down on any given opportunity. I recall the story of the Martyr Sebastian, who was a praetorian under one emperor, and executed under the next, whom did not tolerate Christianity. Sebastian was shot full of arrows, but, by the grace of God, survived the shooting. After he healed, he returned to the emperors court and admonished the emperor for what he had done, after which, of course, he was executed. I wonder if Sebastian liked the emperor who killed him, or only loved him. It is so much easier to love than to like. I don't understand either concept well enough to define them, but if asked about, for instance, my sister, I definitely love her, but I have never liked her.
There is only one person at work that I don't like. A supervisor named David. There are times I do enjoy talking with him, but during work he seems to do his level best to be a hypocrite. I was talking with my friend Elizabeth, whom I had not seen in months, at the cash registers, where I was assigned to work. Our conversing was not interrupting the flow of business, but David (all the same) first verbally told me to get back to work (we were talking in between customers), and then physically came over and told Elizabeth that "Webster needs to concentrate on work now." There are some people who would also have shut me down, and more others still who would not have cared, so long as business wasn't interrupted. The others I would have listened to, David (technically my superior) I openly told to back off.
My response to him was "I've seen you have conversations that lasted a half hour", to which he replied, "On my lunch break", and I fired back, "As long as the girl is pretty enough".
A little background: David is a wired guy. I know, I know, I'm the one labeling him but he is. He is thirty, lives in his parents basement, fancies himself a costume designer (he is purportedly quite good), is a big renaissance fair enthusiast...And at one point was soliciting female employees to come over to his house and dress in animal costumes, so he could put lingerie on the costumes and photograph them. Yeah. I'm not making that up.
Also, he (before becoming a supervisor) had a mildly amusing reputation. He would never be at the cashwrap area to help ringing up customers, unless there was a pretty girl in line. It was blatant, and obvious, and most of us just thought it was funny. He also hits up any attractive female he can talk with for a conversation.
At least one co-worker I talked to anticipated my reaction before I had a chance to relate it. David of all people had no right to call me on that. Anyone else, and I would have complied without complaining.
IN theory, we are supposed to submit ourselves to the authority that exists over us, because rebellion is wrong. God will protect us from the wrongdoings of our overlords, and reward us for our suffering when we submit as opposed to resisting.
I'm no better than David, and in principal I have no beef with him when he is not interfering in my life. I tell myself that the only reason I ignore and or refute him is because if I gave into him he would get even worse (I seem to remember this happening before, though I cannot validate the memory, it is more of a feeling I suppose). SO what then? Do I continue to submit even if he gets worse and worse? Even he has superiors, but is it, assuming we are trying to live totally by Gods rules, to even report him to the big bosses? I don't know. Certainly a King exists to protect and defend his subjects, so does the power structure extend in principal to all organizations with centralized higher authority?
The answer I can think of at current is to submit in the intermit, and talk to the bosses afterwards.
I hope that is correct.
Alexey the Sinner.
posted by Alexios at 1:42 AM
1 Comments:
As I understand the teachings of the Fathers, the answer to your question is, you should be obedient to those in authority over you; with the only exceptions being that you are not bound by that authority if ordered to violate either the law of God, or of the state.
As for going up the "chain of command," my grasp of the Fathers is that this is an option not pursued lightly; and, if possible, not at all, instead bearing the abuse of your superior humbly and without complaining. Rather, it should be borne with prayer for the offender, who will be held accountable for the misuse of his authority on the great and terrible Day of the Lord. Others may speak to the hierarchy on your behalf; this is not your concern (and is not something you should arrange!); as it would be appropriate for you to do to protect someone else being abused by a manager (but not for yourself).
So: submit in the interim; and that interim lasts until you leave to seek a new position, or the Lord returns.
This probably is not what you wanted to hear...
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