Part of this paradigm was borrowed from the "discussion" we had at church today. Through this illustration I had an epiphany.
Which farmer in trying to deal with a problem tree just deals with the fruit? Just picking the fruit does nothing to quell the problem because the tree can just keep on bearing that problem fruit.
Pluck this behavior, and then another one just grows. Pluck this type of addiction, and another just grows.
Choke the porno habit fruit, but then a lusting fruit just grows afterwards.
Pluck the fruit of over-eating, but then an addiction to exercise develops.
If a broken pipe keeps gushing water unto the floor, do you just keep on mopping to solve the problem?
If electricity is not being supplied to your house, does changing the light bulb solve the problem?
Again, which farmer in trying to deal with a problem tree just deals with the fruit? Picking the ugly fruits from the tree and casting them away does not heal the tree, because the fundamental mechanisms that produce the fruit has not been dealt with.
So who among you have been constantly changing light bulbs, mopping the floor and dealing only with the fruit?
THE BEHAVIOR is but a manifestation of deeper, underlying mechanisms. The fruit merely tells you something is wrong, it's NOT the actual problem.
I believe Jesus understood this more than anyone else! Sure, one could stone the adulterous woman, but one would only be dealing with the BEHAVIOR/FRUIT, and not the actual problem.
This...blows my mind every time!
More to come.
@THE BEHAVIOR is but a manifestation of deeper, underlying mechanisms. The fruit merely tells you something is wrong, it's NOT the actual problem.
ReplyDeletethis constitutes, like, 95% of the subject matter freud studied explicitly. the idea that the unconscious memory is, perhaps, about 95% of the total memory... and that it is, for the most part, inaccessible to the individual.
thus the need for extensive psychoanalytic sessions to access those "deeper underlying mechanisms" of our behaviors, particularly when the behaviors are pathological.
i don't quite remember jesus dwelling on this idea so much... except in the idea of 'loving the lord with all your mind'
I like the final conclusion. But how does one deal with the problem?
ReplyDelete@ D
ReplyDelete"i don't quite remember jesus dwelling on this idea so much..."
Oh - Jesus LIVED this idea. His death, his ministry...it was all about dealing with the root -- which we are incapable of truly handling on our own.
@ Mark -- that is the question!
More so -- what do you think is the problem?
I will get a lil political and say it sounds like a good attack for some of the conservative American views. Sure abolish abortion and same sex marriages but what exactly is the point again? People will still be gay and having sex, raising families without the contract and people will still have abortions. I maybe out of context but in my mind it adds up. I do not think it can be solved it is like a cockroach problem (Not trying to insult anyones lifestyle, it just a metaphor)
ReplyDelete"it is like a cockroach problem"
ReplyDeleteBingo, Bolaji, BINGO!