Personal Definition: Enabler is a term used to describe people who help things continue; a term most often used in regards to destructive personal behavior.
I often label others as “enablers” as certain problems continue. The term is usually derisive and condescending; almost certainly it reflects my frustration, anger, and distain with a perceived lack of integrity in a particular situation. I am sure that my sentiments extend beyond distain to include loathing, prejudice, prejudgment, and bias trending towards blatant predisposition. In simple, graphic terms I intensely and passionately despise those who enable “bad” behavior.
Of course my frustration excludes my own behavior! My feeling soften when it comes to someone I care about. If I candidly look in the mirror I see someone who ignores the things close at hand and rallies against those who are just beyond reach. While this is reality it is far from the way things could and should be. In fact as I reach John’s description of an Evil Beast I find myself pausing and wondering which side I have chosen to be on.
“It [the Beast] yelled blasphemies against God, blasphemed his Name, blasphemed his Church, especially those already dwelling with God in Heaven… It held absolute sway over all tribes and peoples, tongues and races.” (Revelation 13.6, 7)
I wonder. Is justice more important to me than mercy is? Which do I hold in higher value; compassion or status? How do I balance unconditional acceptance just the way someone is with accountability? How do I remember that past and not condemn another to it? What could I do today that I didn’t yesterday?
I gently suggest that the questions are all about the future and not about the past. If I learn and grown then history has served a useful purpose. Being accountable to yesterday and engaged in the present with God is the best possible answer to what is a conundrum for each in the quiet of the night. Life is full of wicked problems. Am I part of God’s solution or a player for the Beast?
