Clothed and In His Right Mind-- a Biblical Picture of My Special Gift

One of my favorite Scripture passages is the story of the Gadarene, or Gerasene, demoniac. In its 20 verses (Mark 5:1-20), we meet a pathetic man, one so plagued by the inner demons of his condition that he has lost nearly every glimmer of his humanity. The text tells us that he lived among the tombs (5:2), either because he was tossed out of the community or because he found a particular comfort in living among those who might not oppress him. He shouted and howled from the tombs and bruised himself with stones (5:5). Again, the bruising with stones either could be an indication of his self-destructive tendencies or an attempt to "release" the spirits that were torturing him. A shattered and battered hulk of tormented humanity was all that remained.

When he saw Jesus appear, he had the contradictory reaction that many felt when they saw Jesus: on the one hand they were allured by him, the most striking of men and, on the other hand, they wanted him not to torment them. Jesus exorcised the demons that inhabited him by sending them into a herd of nearby pigs, who ran thunderously down the precipitous hill to their death by drowning in a nearby lake. But then, once the demons left him, and the report of the event reached a nearby town, people came out to see what happened. The text then says:

"They came to Jesus and saw the demoniac sitting there, clothed and in his right mind, the very man who had had the legion..." (5:15).

The contrast between the howling and humbled man, between the marginalized and centrally-seated man, between nakedness and clothedness, takes our breath away. Surely there is something special in this Jesus.

Moving to My Life

I have never claimed powers to exorcise demons from people nor even how to recognize their presence in the world. But what I can do, and am increasinly good at doing as time passes, is putting people in "their right mind." My peculiar gift is helping people discover their minds, to learn how to think about themselves, the material before them, the decisions they might have to make, the alternatives before them. In addition, I am particularly good at bringing people out of their peculiar "funks," not so much by denying their feelings or even trying to 'lure' them out of their funks by changing the subject or telling them that things really are better than they are but by affirming that things are probably worse than they imagine--and them leading them to "safe" ground.

Two Keys

The two keys to being able to put people "in their right minds" are knowing how to bring precision to a conversation and being able skillfully/helpfully to reframe what someone says. Like a medical doctor who asks the patient "where does it hurt?", I can ask people where their mind is on a particular issue, and then, in most instances, guide them through a process that leads them to better alternatives than they think they currently face.

Frequently this comes through "reframing" their situation. For example, a friend told me not long ago that since her divorce she felt she was living in such a world of moral relativism and confusion that she wanted to revisit her fundamentalist past because at least it gave some clear answers to her in her dilemma. I then likened her life to walking down a poorly-lit hallway, equipped only with a swinging 50 watt lightbulb (i.e., her past fundamentalism). Her "post-divorce" world was like trying to enter rooms on ether side of the hallway, but the rooms were dark, drawing their light only from the hallway's partial illumination. Each of the rooms seemed to have scary shapes and dark objects, though it was clear that there was much more "life" possible in these rooms than in the hallway. So it is with life, I suggested. She is currently groping in some of the darker rooms, a living room or kitchen, which will eventually prove much more hospitable and useful for her than the dimly-lit hallway. But things are dark now. Continue groping for the light switch, because when it goes on, you will not only have far more illumination than your rigid past background provides for you, but you will be in a more comfortable and useful situation than in the hallway. Rather, then, than looking at her life today as a "fall" or "decline" from some "higher" moral standard, I "reframed it" as a journey in a dark room, where she hasn't quite yet found the light switch. She will, to be sure, and life will open to her in freedom. I was able to put her "in her right mind."

Broader Applications

This "skill" isn't just demonstrated in conversations with individuals. Because I am confident in my ability to understand almost any situation as long as I have some time and some people to help put it into context, I am able also to help groups of people discover their mind. That is, I am a good "consultant" for boards of directors of non/for profit entities, helping flesh out agendas that will help the boards learn about themselves, their mission, their money, their grantees or clients, their fellow service providers. In the "for profit" context, I help people think through what business they are in, what they are trying to do, what hurdles are before them, what things hold them back, what possibilities for success might be in front of them. I never lose sight of the fact, however, that it is people and their fears, needs, insecurities and glories that are the subject of my thought and comment.

Conclusion

I suppose there is a difference between putting people in their right minds and helping people or groups of people discover their minds for a task, but the difference really isn't that great. The skill arises out of my commitment that if people are thinking clearly about the options before them, they will have the ability to live better lives. So, that is me. I put people in their "right minds." No use hiding it any longer.

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