Back in the 1970’s, an almost iconic comedian by the name of Flip Wilson took television by storm. He was hilarious in the ways he characterized human beliefs, behaviors and idiosyncrasies! He did some of his best work by creating characters through which he poked fun at us human beings. The character with whom I identified most was Geraldine Jones, a sassy, smart and sagacious woman who did’n put up with any BS. She did, however, have one glaring flaw. When confronted with accusations of behaviors she wished to disown, her defense offered in a rather high-pitched screech was, “The Devil made me do it!” She just couldn’t bring herself to fully take responsibility for her actions.
You might wonder how Geraldine and I have anything in common. In what way she reminds me of my Bapticostal upbringing from which I need to recover. The answer is more obvious than you might think. I, like Geraldine, was taught to avoid personal responsibility for actions that might be deemed less than spiritually competent. It was a subtle lesson but one I learned well, nonetheless.
You see, in many Christian circles, taking responsibility for personal weaknesses and foibles creates a conundrum that is difficult to remedy. It is much easier to shift blame from self to some other entity for whom questionable behavior is the norm. It is much easier to focus on the Devil as the source of my bad behavior. I, like so many other Christians back in the 70’s, had a ready-made out with the creation of Geraldine. We could laugh about her antics and thereby lighten the gravity of or actions in the process.
Growing up as a child, I learned to fear the evil, dark side of the spiritual duality. If the Devil could make me act in ways contrary to my good intentions then he was indeed an entity worthy of my wariness. I learned to tread softly when thinking or talking about him. What if I invited him into my being and became something other than what I desired? The Devil became my excuse for behavior counter to that associated with my Faith.
I believe, as I look back now, that we could laugh at Geraldine’s outrageous claims as a way to make fun of our own ridiculous shift of responsibility from self to the Evil One.
I’ve fought this one for a long time now. I would certainly love to make someone else responsible for any thoughts, feelings and actions of mine that expose my imperfect humanity. However, in order to remain true to my Journey of Recovery, I cannot. I am responsible for all actions. I am the one who gives in to temptation. I am the one who makes the mistake. I am the one . . . not the Devil. He is merely the tempter. I am the actor.
That being said, I am also responsible for responding to the light that I have, living in ways that are more purposeful, more mindful. Thanks for the chance to dodge the bullet, Geraldine . . . but No Thanks!
Peace!
Mark E. Hundley
