Dr. Eldren was very interested and concerned, but it seemed he wanted the process to move as quickly as possible for some reason.
“Thanks, I’ll do my best to finish during this semester,” replied Collin, and then began right away. “First I will tell you something of the background of these two fine people, Durwin and Canda Lawton.
“Durwin Lawton had been a minister in mainline protestant churches for many years. He was a fine, clean cut, well cultured person of distinguished character and appearance that made him stand out among others. With many favorable characteristics about him, in both physical profile and personality, he was the type of person that, under normal circumstances the majority of people take a very sure liking to. A true friend to all who accepted his friendship, showing no intentional unkindness toward anyone; sincere, honest and hard working in all spheres of his ministry, Durwin was the type of minister any sane and sound Christian congregation would love to have.
“But Durwin had some other positive characteristics as well. As a part of his air of refinement he was easy speaking, kind, meek, sparing in words, scrupulously honest and fair with all people. Such characteristics are often interpreted by some people, belittlers in particular, as weaknesses. Some would at times infer that he was a ‘wimp,’ and try unsuccessfully to make it stick. Durwin was no weakling. When necessary, he could be very firm and strong, standing his ground, although easily able to acknowledge error, or if warranted to change his mind and agree with people offering a different opinion. Durwin was able to utilize anger too, when injustice needed confrontation of that kind, although he seldom resorted to it.
“He was a good all around steward of money and of other possessions, whether his own or the church’s. He had confidence in himself yet was able to resort to self-examination to improve himself. Although he had good appearance under most any circumstance, he also felt it his duty to be always well groomed as a minister of the church and as a person - one of God’s people. Durwin didn’t take life for granted. He worked at it to keep that life on a high plane, believing that it is God’s calling to do so. One main characteristic of his ministry was to help others to continually lift their lives to an ever higher plane. He humbly strived personally to be an example in this regard.
“It was for all of these reasons and more that many people liked and loved Durwin Lawton. It was for these same reasons that proud, envious belittlers hated him and sought continually to bring him down.
“Reviewing a little, I will emphasize that this in turn was the reason why Durwin, like many others including the members of our support group, always have to be very careful of what we ever say about belittlers to psychiatrists or psychologists or others of that field. Some of them would say he was paranoid; others that he was oversensitive to little things, and running or hiding, or over concerned when there was nothing much to be concerned about.
“As indicated in our earlier discussions, we have heard psychiatrists say, ‘Oh, I have had something like that happen to me occasionally, but I just shrug it off as the other person’s ignorance and go on my way. Why let it bother you?’ The fact is that as far as his own circumstances are concerned, such a psychiatrist may be quite right. He may only very occasionally experience such a problem. For you and I it is a way of life. We have it continuously. For those who only occasionally have to put up with it, it may be very easily shrugged off, although I have heard of people being very seriously, if sometimes only temporarily, affected by this occasional experience with belittlers.
“How then are we who have it continuously to fare when it affects our lives so perpetually and drastically, and there are so few who understand-practically no one to turn to for help without being inadvertently or otherwise put down further by the would be helpers, by being told we are oversensitive, or worse, we are paranoid. We have some support, not much but some, and not from psychology, as they generally are not yet on to it professionally.
“I have previously mentioned the Biblical scholar William Barclay. He writes of living at peace with all people, and quotes the Apostle Paul’s qualification to do that as ‘if it be possible, as far as you can.’ (The Daily Study Bible, William Barclay, Romans 12:18, page 181, Barclay translation), or ‘If possible, so far as it depends on you.’ (Romans 12:18, R.S.V.), or ‘If it is possible, so far as it depends on you.’ (Romans 12:18, New R.S.V.). Barclay then goes on to say, ‘Paul knew very well that it is easier for some to live at peace than it is for others. He knew that one person can be compelled to control as much temper in an hour as another person in a lifetime. We would do well to remember that goodness is a great deal easier for some people than it is for others.’(The Daily Study Bible, William Barclay, The Letter To The Romans, Page 184).
“Barclay also states, concerning the same topic, “Christianity is not an easy-going tolerance which will accept anything and shut its eyes to everything. There may come a time some battle has to be fought, and when that time comes the Christian will not shirk it.’ (The Daily Study Bible, William Barclay, The Letter To The Romans, Page 184).
“Fine, smart people of the present era are continually in conflict with the gross evil of belittlers and are not meant simply to tolerate and appease just to be at peace with evil people. The world has long since learned that appeasement doesn’t work when dealing with such people. Battles have to be fought. Occasionally anger is the only language evil belittlers understand, especially when they think they are getting away with their evil. However, uncontrolled anger is not an answer to the problem. So fine people have to learn, as much as lies in them and as much as is possible under the circumstances, to resort to other attitudes and defenses. Nevertheless, because he is assailed more by evil belittlers, the fine person is compelled all the more to control his anger, and defend himself by other means.
“Furthermore it is much more difficult for belittled fine people to be at peace with evil belittlers when the battle Barclay refers to is continuous. Tolerance and appeasement is not a Christian response to it. It depends on us to be at peace with other peaceful people. But it does not depend on us to be at peace with evil people. It depends on them-if they will cease their evil. The Christian cannot rightly be at peace with evil. We can apply this to our circumstances.
“Barclay is here stating for us, in effect, that some people have a whole lot more trouble with difficult people than do others. It is therefore, as the Bible indicates, not as possible for them to live at peace with all people.
“So,” said Collin, “I have no trouble disagreeing with psychiatry on this issue. As I said some people have only an occasional brush with belittlers, and may well be able to shrug it off. On the other hand, as I said earlier, I have known of some people who at times were hurt and their lives damaged quite severely, sometimes only temporarily by this occasional experience. But people like us have to put up with it continuously as a matter of course in life. If we should need help we are hard pressed because we will be told we are oversensitive, or worse, we won’t be believed at all. Needless to say, I place more confidence in Barclay’s statement than in the approach of most psychiatrists. The usual psychiatric approach works along with the belittlers to put us down all the more.
“During Durwin’s first two years of ministry in Terraprima, a high church official described his ministry as ‘excellent.’ Another official in high places described his performance in all areas of life as ‘superior.’ Yet in two more years we see Durwin demoted to a much lesser ministry with a large decrease in remuneration, and looked upon and treated as a third class or less minister of an obscure, out of the way, unprogressive congregation without potential for the kind of ministry Durwin felt called to pursue.
“I can substantiate and compare this case with two other cases, spread years apart, to show that this problem has been around for a long, long time - for decades at least. It is handled today in the same way it was many years ago with no change in its evaluation or its handling by the church.
“The first of these happenings occurred approximately seventy five years ago, and with another similar incident about forty years ago. Both victims ‘escaped’ and went on to success in other areas of life. I know of others, and there are probably many, who have had similar experiences. I will tell you briefly of