I think it's a simple matter of relatively few people being able to be a
combination of visionary, charismatic, inspiring and truly innovative
theologically (or truly innovative in most other areas). There's a reason there are no
other Apples and Microsofts out there in the world. It's also a simple
matter of those who are that combination of characteristics generally
burning brightly for a time and then being extinguished by those who can't
handle the glare and/or flaming out for various reasons.
Think about it for a minute:
How
many people who fit that description lived to be old? How many ended up
diving completely off the deep end into the dark side? How many were
killed just as they were entering chronological maturity?
People
generally work hard to contain raging fires - both physical and
spiritual / religious. It's just too threatening and unstable for most people to let
them burn, and they often use up all the oxygen and fuel available and extinguish themselves.
Burn Baby Burn
2 weeks ago
3 comments:
You're kidding, right? Check out Denver Snuffer or Tim Malone's blogs. You'll have so much charisma you'll start speaking in tongues yourself!
PP, I know and respect Tim. I have no respect, theologically, for Denver. We simply disagree too much about too many foundational things.
Also, to the point of this post, Denver hasn't been around long enough to fit what I wrote here. I didn't say we have no charisma; I said we have no charismatics **like Joseph Smith**. That is an important distinction, and Denver, at this point, doesn't fall into that category. I believe he never will, but only history can tell whether I am right or wrong about that.
It appears that both Joseph Smith and Adolf Hitler were endowed with the characteristics you were referring. As you pointed out, one burned brightly before being extinguished by others, while the other went off the deep,dark end.
I just finishd "Rough Stone Rolling" I don't think it was always easy for Joseph to stay humble, having been endowed with some many gifts. He was subjected to a lot of chastening and correction, but was wise enough to learn, while many of his associates were not.
Having no such gifts myself, I expect to live a long, peaceful life.
Post a Comment