Foolish Times

Fig leaf is a reference from the story of Adam and Even in the garden of Eden.

The serpent said to the woman, “You won’t surely die, for God knows that in the day you eat it, your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” (Genesis 3: verses 4-5 WEB translation)

Adam and Eve disobeyed God and ate from the tree of knowledge and Evil. Apart from an awareness of sin, Adam and Eve soon realised that taking advice from a talking snake was a really bad idea. Like many difficult couple relationships, they blamed everyone else for their problems. Eve blamed the snake and Adam blamed Eve for eating the fruit. Sin entered the created world and spoilt everything for humanity. An ongoing tragedy was the proliferation of awful marriage or relationship `self -help’ and `motivational’ sermons and books.

Books with titles like `Seven Keys to a Dynamic Marriage’, `Getting Back Your Sassy Self’ and `Co-dependent No-More’ have been making publishers and relationship gurus filthy rich since the late 20^th century. Fig leaf is also a figure of speech. It describes using something that is inadequate as a cover to hide shame and embarrassment. Fig Leaf is also a game. Fig Leaf occurs when well-meaning Christians adopt the latest social issues or programs to gain credibility or popularity with the powerful and the public.

Fig leaf is sometimes very hard to spot. Especially when the cause is good and worthwhile. For example, a church installs solar panels to reduce carbon emissions and `raise awareness of climate change’. The game of `Fig Leaf’ is played when the cause is used as a cover or `Fig Leaf’ to hide their insecurities or unbelief. In the absence of convictions, Christians are tempted to co-opt every passing fad or trend as a `Fig Leaf’. Somewhere along the path of good works, the focus switches from being other centred to `virtue signalling’ or `Look at me…look at me’.

What is virtue signalling?

Virtue signalling is usually described as any communication that involves expressing a moral viewpoint with the aim of demonstrating good character or moral virtue. In the negative sense, `virtue signalling’ is contrived and empty. Virtue signalling can come across as insincere and empty. The focus is on the activist’s self- image with little or no cost or personal sacrifice. In virtue signalling, the signaller’s main aim is to make a positive impression upon their audience. It plays into our desire to look good in the eyes of other people.   

 Humans want to be good.

Regardless of what we believe (or don’t believe), humans have a natural inclination to want to be `good’ or `right’ and seek justification in what we do (or don’t’ do). We are `hard wired’ for striving to attain a standard of virtue or righteousness. In the gap between the ideal and the reality, we always fall short. Simply doing more of the same will never fill the void or satisfy the inner restlessness, insecurities, critical voices and fears. Excessive virtue signalling has been linked to blindness…um…spiritual blindness that is. Using causes as fig leaves blinds us to the reality that we cannot be `good’ or `righteous’ through our own self-efforts.

In a follow up post, I will explore a better game to `Fig Leaf’ and an alternative look at virtue signalling.

It’s Harry’s Birthday. He comes home from work one day and finds a letter in the mailbox. Harry slowly opens the letter and finds a birthday card inside. As he opens the card, a ticket falls out onto the ground. He bends over to pick up the ticket. Harry squints while reading the fine print on the ticket. He says out loud `This is too good to be true!’ The ticket grants the holder `all expenses paid, unlimited overseas travel’ to any location in the world for a period of five years.

Harry’s first excitement at his birthday present starts to give way to some uncomfortable thoughts and feelings. He starts to feel ashamed. Shame is the feeling that suggests `there is something wrong with me…I really don’t deserve an expensive gift like this… I don’t deserve this’. Feeling slightly cynical, Harry thinks to himself `What’s the catch…there’s gotta be catch’.

After a brief pause, Harry puts aside his negative thoughts and receives the birthday present with a feeling of gratitude. He is excited about all the possible places he would like to travel, the tours and adventures that lay waiting for him. Harrys’ good fortune takes an abrupt turn for the worse three days later. He receives an official looking letter in the mail. `Maybe it’s a cheque…a refund or some other good luck’. Harry opens the letter while squinting to read the print. In the letter is an invoice for the travel ticket with a request to pay within 14 days.   

What is grace?

Grace is hard to explain. Looking at the opposite of grace is easier for most of us to understand. The opposite is like getting an invoice for a birthday gift.  A gift is something good we receive with `no strings attached’ and is usually unearned. While the motives for gift giving can be tainted or corrupted, there is an expectation that we don’t have to earn a birthday present. If birthday presents were conditional on our good behaviour, then most of us would be very disappointed around our birthdays. Not all gifts are external. All of us have gifts in the form of hidden abilities, talents or life experiences that have shaped us for the better.

Playing to our strengths.

Strengths based approaches are very popular in the helping professions. Strength based approaches have this view in common: everyone has potential strengths and abilities that are hidden, partly expressed or utilised. People grow and develop when we encourage and help them `play to their strengths’ and not simply define a person by their problems or see them as the problem. We are all `gifted’ in some way or another. Some people are more physically gifted – have stronger, naturally athletic bodies, a razor-sharp intellect or other natural abilities that give them a head start in life.

How grace is expressed: learning to understand and appreciate our abilities, talents and gifts.

Learning to understand and use our giftedness is one of the guideposts of a life that is based on grace. The character of `Harry’ used in the story was born with a strong sense of optimism. While he was not academically smart in the classroom, Harry had a natural ability to learn practical skills in a real-life environment. This gave him a feeling of mastery and confidence in his work and hobbies. He also gained the respect of his extended family and work colleagues. I once spoke to an older man who radiated joy when he talked about his work role. He was the CEO of a training college. He had found a role that was natural fit with his abilities and life experience. He told me that his work was `play’.  His honesty about the challenges and difficulties in his role as CEO gave his story credibility and authenticity.

The expression of grace in our lives.

1. Think about something you do that comes naturally without much effort or training. (maybe partly realised and not fully expressed)
2. How is this expressed in your life?
3. What label would you use to describe these abilities and talents? (you may need to ask another person to help you with this process. We are usually unaware and reluctant to admit our strengths).

Play has many layers of depth. `Playing by the Rules’ is the first level of play. It goes like this – get an education, an apprenticeship or a tertiary degree. Those who are lucky enough will get a secure, high paying job or start a successful business. This is the ticket to buying a house, a mortgage and being more attractive to a potential partner. We exchange time, money and energy for financial security, status and the things that money can buy. There are exceptions to the rule. Some people choose singleness as a `lifestyle choice.’ For others, a relationship breakdown, death of a partner or the imbalance between the sexes may mean temporary or long-term singleness through no fault of their own.

Let’s look at a `fictional’ couple called `Jack and Jill’. Jack and Jill climbed the hill of education and secured good jobs. They have a house in the suburbs with a large mortgage, 2 children, a daughter and son (Charlie and Travis) and a dog called ruffles. Jack and Jill will spend most of their lives working to pay off a house (and any other debts). They want to accumulate enough superannuation for a comfortable retirement. Outside of work, Jill really enjoys her weekly yoga class and likes reading self-help, motivational books like `Women Who Swim with the Sharks’, `Fearless Woman’ and `The Power of Me.’ Jack loves his Australian Rules Football, fixing things and is an avid reader of sports magazines. They both love Netflix and renovation shows. Jack and Jill are a `down to earth’, practical couple who are very accepting of other people.

In their retirement, Jack and Jill plan to travel, spend more time on their hobbies and are hoping for grandchildren. Jack and Jill aren’t religious people. Jack thinks churches are full of ` money grubbing-hypocrites’. Jack can put aside his opinions and relate well to people in general. Jill has some vague, fleeting thoughts on the possibility life after death. Jack and Jill are very self- reliant people. If there is no God or certainty beyond this life; then we must strive to look after ourselves and each other. In a universe where God is absent; we are all alone. Like cosmic orphans, we must look to our own efforts to survive through extended family, friends and relying on the state. 

Jack is very popular around the office. He’s very good at fixing things unlike `whiny Simon.’ Jack likes to help his co-workers with their computer problems. He has a practical knack for learning new skills and teaching others. Whiny Simon is usually ‘too busy’ to help other people. He always has time to ‘volunteer’ his opinions about the latest social cause or grievance to his jaded co-workers. Whiny Simon is a humanitarian; an advocate for many a good cause who dislikes people. Shaking his head in dismay, Whiny Simon can’t believe that most people stubbornly cling to their ‘outdated’ and `reactionary’ views that hold back progress. Whiny Simon prides himself on being ‘outspoken’. He loves posting on Facebook to share his thoughts with a broader audience. People usually find excuses to avoid Whiny Simon at work.

Jill is admired by her peers for her calm temperament and ability to make good decisions in stressful situations. Jill’s boss, Steve, nominated her for an `Emerging Leaders’ program at work. Jill struggles with another co-worker, Georgia or ‘Regan’. Georgia was nicknamed Regan after the young female lead character in the movie, `The Exorcist’, who was possessed by a demon. Some of Georgia’s co-workers believe she is possessed by an evil spirit. Georgia’s icy, cold presence causes the room temperature to drop by 10 degrees whenever she enters the office. Ruby the admin officer joked that everyone was waiting for Georgia’s head to rotate around 180 degrees while the demonic spirit openly manifests itself. Georgia resents Jill because she received a promotion for her good work. Georgia can’t understand this. ‘I’ve been in the job for six months…. where’s my promotion?’, she thinks to herself. Georgia feels that she is a victim of a massive systemic injustice.

Playing by the rules has many advantages.

Hard work and getting qualified works for most of us. Some people manage to find work they really enjoy or find meaningful. Jack and Jill have more freedom, comfort and choice over their lives. Rules provide a level of security, predictability and communicate clear expectations around human behaviour. What if Peter, the payroll officer decided to give into his non-conformist playful streak and take 4 weeks holiday leave without going through the formal leave application processes. While Peter is laying on the beach at Bali enjoying the sound of the waves breaking onto the sand, his angry co-workers can’t understand why they were not paid this fortnight. Whiny Simon and Georgia have the time to ride their favourite hobby horses and pursue grievances. For many people who are materially poor, life is a struggle to get the basics and with fewer options. Involuntary poverty is not much fun. People who ‘play by the rules’ can be very resentful of other people who `don’t pull their weight’ or the `work shy’ like their welfare dependent neighbours. Adversity is the great leveller of social status. We are only one accident away from being on a Disability Support Pension.

The downside of playing by the rules: ‘wage slavery.’

There is a downside to exchanging time, money and energy for financial security. The promise of having a `great career’ fades like a desert mirage in the grind of the daily routines of work. The mind-numbing reality of being stuck in a cubicle or open plan office doing repetitive tasks starts to wear thin. Collaboration is difficult when other people have mentally `clocked off’ and have low levels of motivation. Jill would like to find another position to avoid having to work with Georgia. This is not possible for Jill as she cannot afford to take a pay cut. The fear of the loss of financial security keeps many people in a state that feels like ‘wage slavery’. Most people will stay in jobs they have outgrown or dislike. Playing by the rules has another advantage. The ability to buy goods, consume experiences and pursue our pleasures self-medicates us from the mind-numbing reality of routines that become staid and boring. This dovetails with the second level of `play as hedonism’ or the quest for pleasure.

As a child, I developed a very rich imagination. I learnt to withdraw into a creative fantasy life as a way of avoiding difficult, boring and painful circumstances. I remember `feeling different’, an `outsider’ and never quite `fitting in.’ Not an uncommon experience as an adopted child. There are many advantages to having a rich fantasy life. I could escape from the tedium of compulsory singing during school and navigate an imaginary universe. From an early age, I aspired to be an Astronaut. I wanted to travel through space; the ultimate in `disassociating’ from the limits of an earth-based reality and explore beyond the boundaries of the known universe.

There were a few obstacles to my dreams of becoming an Astronaut. Reality was a really, really big one. While patiently biding my time on planet earth, I noticed there weren’t many vacancies for nerdy, insecure prepubescent children at NASA for Astronaut training. I consistently failed primary school maths and struggled to read maps. I was also prone to feeling car sick when travelling. I couldn’t think of anything worse. Struggling to remove my space helmet while having an `out of stomach experience’ and fumbling to find the barf bag. Not a great start for an aspiring space explorer.

Space travel is also very, very expensive. In the early seventies, a Saturn V rocket cost around one hundred million dollars. (or one trillion dollars adjusted in today’s currency) That’s a lot of pocket money. (not to mention the postage and handling costs!) Even if I could afford the postage, the sight of a rocket sitting in my backyard would attract the attention of my parents and neighbours. I could imagine my bemused father asking: `What’s that son?’ `It’s a Saturn V rocket, Dad…the type that launched Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin to their first moon landing.’ I imagined my Dad saying in reply, `Alright… don’t tell your mother…she’ll just worry about it.’

The countdown was magnificent…10…9…8…7…6…ignition sequence begins…5…4…3…2 …1…and blast off! The liquid oxygen and kerosene fuelled rocket engines roared into action as huge amounts of fire and smoke poured out of the nozzles. The cabin shook as the rocket slowly accelerated upwards into the clear blue sky. My back arched slightly as the vibrations from the rocket engines firing rattled through the whole structure. The pressure of gravity became stronger as the rocket sped upwards into the higher reaches of the atmosphere. `Looking good Mission control’, I thought to myself. I think my neighbours would have been miffed as their houses were incinerated during the launch. I never like old Mr Jones anyway. He had a flat earth view of reality that could be summed up as `wake up to yourself’, `get a haircut son and don’t march on our streets! ‘Some people’s stance on life is like gravity. Their attitudes exert a strong downward pressure to conform and keep lofty ideals firmly from soaring into the heavens.

My hopes of becoming an Astronaut fizzled like a wet fire cracker. I remember sharing my dreams with my grade four teacher. Her lack of enthusiasm was enough to sow seeds of doubt in my mind. Perhaps she thought to herself `not another one’ or knew that my lack of aptitude for maths would doom me to be grounded on planet earth forever. Reluctantly, I had to compromise my dream of space travel. It was not long after this time that my view of reality would begin to shift. A friend gave me a copy of a book. I discovered the phenomena of Unidentified Flying Objects. If intelligent life was out there cruising the galaxy… then… maybe… they would take me with them!

Clowning is like entering an alternative reality. It started when I enrolled in a summer school clown workshop in Brisbane in 2003. Using a series of activities, the instructor helped us comprehend how truth can be represented via our physical bodies. One of these positions was dubbed “office worker” by him. The teacher asked us to imagine that we had a task to finish. We were instructed to maintain little eye contact with the other participants as we moved about the room. The instructor told us to breathe quickly and deeply. I found that the physical posture of an “office worker” is very physically demanding to sustain for extended periods. There is a strong sense of internal discipline required to force our bodies to `labour’ while being driven by an external goal.

`Emotional labour’ is the phrase that describes the way we discipline our emotions to conform to the workplace. Most front-line positions need employees to deliver “service with a smile.” Front-line employees are required to manage their true feelings and align their emotional state with the goals and values of the organisation. Emotional labour is the socially acceptable mask we put on to fit in with society. Wearing a mask has certain advantages. A vulnerable person’s faith in the helping professions is damaged when they are treated poorly. A business will likely go bankrupt if their staff are rude or indifferent to the needs of customers. It makes sense to behave in a way that aligns with social norms or business principles. We incur a high cost to internalise the self-control needed to regulate our emotions. I discovered that “office worker” for extended periods is very taxing on the body. Not to mention exhausting.

Strolling down the Mall at the end of the day, I sat down to observe people as they were walking. I was in a very relaxed, open, and playful mood. I looked ahead and saw a group of men and women dressed in formal work clothes walking through the Mall.  I felt a surge of excitement and joy– an epiphany – ‘they’re in office worker’! This was a transformative moment. I wasn’t making any personal judgments about the people walking through the Mall. An ordinary moment yielded an amazing discovery – a brief moment of ‘street theatre’ in an otherwise ordinary day in the Brisbane City Mall. Like the little child in “The Emperor’s New Clothes,” clowns, fools and jesters possess the “unsophisticated” perception to “see things as they are and now how we imagine them to be.”

A clown philosophy

The clown’s red nose is the doorway to an alternative universe. In the clown’s universe, the normal rules of reality are suspended. The energy of the clown is an invitation to freedom. The freedom and joy we experienced as children. The clown is the imaginative, funny, and sometimes disruptive side of ourselves. “Putting on a character” or “acting” is not what clowning entails. It’s the consciousness that arises from a state of astonishment, spontaneity, and childlike wonderment. When we are young, everything seems brand-new and is always being discovered and learned. When I was younger, I pretended to have superman abilities by draping an ordinary sheet around my neck and jumping off the roof to soar into the sky. After several grazed knees, I discovered that the law of gravity was “krypotonite” to my fantasy of flying. As grown-ups, we are prone to overthink and create excuses not to be playful. Through the clown, we can rediscover the realm of imagination. In our imagination, anything is possible. It’s never too late for adults to re-experience child-like joy without the bruises!