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Just In Time for Easter

Usually this time of year the news market likes to get our attention by recycling some old story about Jesus and the resurrection. One year the Discovery Channel with James Cameron, director of the movie Titanic declared that he had discovered the bones of Jesus, son of Joseph! Trouble was of course that in first century Palestine they recycled names so often it was like declaring that Joe Smith the prophet of the LDS church is buried in a thousand different tombs. Um, there might be more than one.

Another year National Geographic trotted out the Gospel of Judas. “Was Judas the betrayer Jesus’ truest disciple?” That’s not a difficult question to answer if you know much about ancient Gnosticism, but since most Americans don’t, it will sell a few copies one Easter season.

This year no attempts at grabbing the headlines will probably unseat the great flap over Indiana and Religious Liberty. It boils down to two groups not trusting but rather fearing each other and worrying that a law will tilt the future fortunes towards or away from one another. Religious groups and LGBTQ groups then battle it out trying to posture themselves in a favorable light so as to gain influence that can be converted into political power.

Elephants and Riders

People, however, are complicated. If you know any, people I mean, you know how difficult they are to convince in nearly anything. If you live with a person you also know that differences over even small things can cause irritation, anger, and even violence. I’m sure you’ve noticed that among people the tiniest things, a look, a word, the placement of an article of clothing, a symbol can be the occasion of violence and death.

Thoughtful people have long pondered why we are this way. We are mixtures of will, emotion and reason. We often try to convince one another through reason only to discover that a story is more convincing.

Jonathan Haidt, a psychologist gives us a picture to illustrate this mystery about ourselves. He likens us to the team of a rider and an elephant. The rider is the conscious, reasoning side of us who we often imagine is in control. The elephant, however, is the unconcious, emotional side of us that often determines what we actually do. We see this all the time. Do you have a stubborn habit that you can’t see to break? Why is it you find it difficult to stay on a diet or lose weight? Why do you have trouble reigning in your tongue, saying things that you know will get you in trouble or disturb your relationships with others?

Since the rider is often over-matched by the massive elephant below the rider will often make up stories to help the rider feel better about what the elephant decided or make them look good to other teams of riders and elephants.

Both riders and elephants are always looking around, watching the other teams. Elephants are herd animals that feel secure in herds, often following the herd while the riders are making up stories that justify what the elephants feel is best.

The Easter Bunny
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