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The other day I was talking with someone about Cults, organizations even politics. I was telling her that for a long time I thought that those that were easily influenced by other were sick or stupid, or just weak minded. Though when I look deeply into my own life, and the people I know I find that this is not always the case. They simply have the assumption that “Elders” Or those putting themselves out there as “Elders” Are somehow more knowledgeable, spiritual, or more experienced that the rest of us.
False Elders are confident. They speak in logic, or rational theories (most of which have been ‘borrowed’ from other people) They are attractive and charismatic, they say what you want to hear (though mostly saying nothing at all), and make you desire to know more. You wish to know more about what they profess to have knowledge of, as if it is some strange mysterious secret that cannot be obtained except by them.
The truth is that within every one of us lies the ability to tap into a vast spiritual knowledge. Within every person is a wealth of deep understanding and experience. Maybe not in all topics, but in the ones that are most important, the ones that apply to our own journeys.
The problem is when we do not believe that. Then we look for someone to ‘guide us’ that is not the best guide to choose. Would I ask a person, that wrote a book all about investment banking that is on the top 10 list to guide me in my financial future, if I knew that he was living in a basement, not able to pay his bills? Would I ask a minister who holds expensive seminars to guide my family if I knew that outside of the church he was a monster to his family? Probably not. Yet if we look at the world around us, how many times do we see this person or that one in a place of respect and awe, leading many, that if questioned, actually know very little about the topic they are guiding others on?
Writing a book, erecting a website, holding seminars or classes, or having some title does not mean anything more than that that person had time on their hands and an idea. Sometimes the motives are great, sometimes these people felt that they wanted to ‘pay forward’ something that they had struggled with. More often though it was simply to draw attention to themselves as being the ‘one with the most’.
Years ago there were real Elders. People in communities that had the respect of having lived many years, and through many seasons. And even though you could not possibly know everything there is to know about someone else, these people were in contact with their community for so long that those that would come to them for advice knew how they had lived their lives.
In contrast, the ‘Elders’ of today are young, in their twenties, thirties and even forties. They do have some spiritual knowledge, some experience, yet most have not even begun to tap into all that there is to be had. When they made the decision to guide others, it may have been premature. Because when imparting all of their knowledge and working hard to evolve into the ‘Elder’ they turned their backs on being teachable. When we fail to learn, we have no business teaching.
If I had a radiator leak, and went to a mechanic that had learned only one way to repair the hose, with a nylon stocking, he would be happy to avail me of his knowledge. Later though if he decided that was the only way to do that repair he would stagnate in his own experience and might never seek to find a different/better way. His ‘student’, ME, would also suffer the consequences of selecting the wrong ‘Elder’ to learn from. My assumption that this person knew what they were talking about could cost me. It might also cost those I'm imparting MY knowledge of that to.
It is becoming a more frequent story that people have found some random stranger, or person they know very little about to become a guiding force in their lives, simply because they SEEM to be worthy of that level of respect.
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