Christian Living

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Larry Lilly's Letter Tuesday September 23, 2008

As I was preparing this letter for publication the thought struck me that an appropriate title would be, "Irrational Rationality." In other words that which appears to be rational is not always as it seems.

Chuck Colson in his grand book, "The Faith" given once of all, tells the following story from his days in a Federal Prison:

"I was in prison with an inmate who had been a Mafia hit man. He had twenty-six notches on his barrel and ice water in his veins. I asked him once how he could live with this. "Chuck, you were in the Marines. You were trained to kill people. I was in the service of the Cosa Nostra, and I was hired to kill the enemy." I never saw the slightest suggestion that this man's conscience was in any way troubling him."

I am avoiding a long dissertation on the validity of anyone killing anyone on orders from a superior, but this was this was mans rationalized view, "A man higher than me in rank ordered the assassination of an enemy, I simply did my job." I have known a few men who were able to totally implement this type of rationalization in several matters and appear as though they had Colson's "ice water" in their veins and thus totally devoid of any feeling. Notice I used the word appear, for one man in particular was a hit man, who never gave his work a second thought, yet he worked hard, saved money, put his children through college, celebrated at their wedding, and cried when a grandchild died. He loved his wife and was true to their marriage vows. I am sure he has gone on, and as far as is known, never showed the slightest sign of remorse. He was obeying orders. End of story.

The Marine, Chuck Colson was trained to kill. The hit man was trained to kill. One is trained to kill in order to protect the whole of a nation. The other is trained to kill to protect a special interest. To rationalize this difference does NOT erase the very real difference.

In this irrational rationalizing of killing the second man is pointing out the danger of failing to recognize true authority, of refusing to submit to a higher concept of right and wrong.

Colson mentions that many fall into the trap of rational reasoning and end in serious trouble, as he himself did in the Watergate episode, which was designed to save America from the Democrats. Admirable attempt, but irrational at best.

As you read this millions of men and women are blaming upbringing, genetic formation, instinct and feeling for their irrational behavior. "After all, God made me like this." I always add, “Yes, God did make you like you are, but with His gifts he has given you proper bounds with which to exercise these gifts, and there is no valid rational reason for you to ignore these boundaries and suppose there will be no accounting; because you are responsible for your actions. And so it goes.

Martin Luther wrote: "I more fear what is within me that what comes from without."

Larry Lilly Copyright © 2008 Use with credit.

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