tion complex. In a church situation anyone so un fortunate as to discuss the paranoid’s problem with him may be thoroughly confused by the very well- arranged, systematic case which he will offer. He will be able to give instance after instance showing that he is being discriminated against because his doctrine is true and that of the minister or o f the elders or of someone else within the church is completely wrong. Case #59. A man who had worked for a number of years for a Christian Protestant Publishing Company left his work suddenly with no explanation. Later he divulged to his doctor that he had been forced to leave this rather pleasant and interesting work because o f persecution which had been heaped upon him by the organization. He stated that through some pressures which he could not understand Catholics who had resented his effective evangelistic work among them were able to force his employers, whom he stated to be weak men, to make his work with them intolerable. This point alone was made rea sonably and without excessive bitterness and, though it hardly seemed plausible, might have been accepted by some rather naive listener. However, his account was only a portion of a much larger story of persecution in which his neighbors were stated to be taking pic tures of him with special cameras and lights which could penetrate ordinary Venetian blinds and window shades, in which the police department constantly shadowed him with a plainclothes man, and in which this process of surveillance was so complete that it had extended to a large city a hundred miles away where the fire department as well was brought into the system! Paranoid ideas such as these would be certain ly discovered more often except that the person who has them is suspicious of all who try to in vestigate his conflict, being certain that they, too, are on the side of his persecutors. For this reason, he is not likely to give the full account o f his sys tematic delusion to any but those who seem to be on his side and are willing to believe what he has to say, with no questions asked. If the Christian who is aware o f the fact that such conflicts exist finds himself with a problem of this nature, how can he handle it? Often his first inclination is to discuss the problem with some fellow-worker. This desire may well spring from his own need to justify himself as he finds him self confused and made guilty by his unhappy situation. In general, discussion with others is not the wisest step to take. Certainly, in the vast ma jority o f instances it is not good to discuss the problem with young Christians, whether they be new believers on the mission field or recent con verts in the home church. No matter how right
you believe your stand to be, no matter how dan gerously heretical you consider your adversary, a long justification of yourself and condemnation of the other is likely to lead to nothing but disaster as far as the fate o f the younger Christian is con cerned. Furthermore, on the mission field a na tional may for his own reasons be glad to seize upon this confidence as a means o f undermining the authority or respect of all missionaries. Even discussion o f this matter with individuals of approximately your own status is not always very helpful. To a large extent you must be ready to face your problem alone, at least in its initial stage. Prayer is o f tremendous value during this stage when one is concerned as to what he should do. However, any prayer which is offered at this time must be truly honest, truly sincere. It should in volve a degree of self-searching and self-examina tion before God o f which most o f us are not capa ble. It must involve a genuine desire that God will reveal our own part within the unpleasant situation which has arisen. Prayer with the person with whom the con flict has arisen may have some value as well, but experience shows that such prayer to God is often not much more than sanctified talebearing. Though the words may be a little less blunt, the spirit is so often that o f “ Lord, help this dear kind brother to see where he is wrong and to give in to me!” Even subtle confession in which a degree o f guilt is admitted by the person who is praying is likely to lead to nothing but resentment on the part of his colleague. One o f the best means of attempting to work out the causes o f friction is by facing them early and discussing them with the other person who is in volved. If both individuals involved in the situation are fairly normal and healthy in their psychologi cal constitutions, it may be possible, by frankly admitting that difficulties exist and by attempting to pinpoint the causes o f the difficulty, to work out a healthy relationship in which both persons will be able to do their work well, even though they may not agree wholeheartedly in all respects. Be fore such a discussion the problem may seem to be insoluble. After an honest facing of the issues on both sides, it may be seen that the problem is not hopeless, that there may be means by which a complete break in the relationship can be avoided. Of course, it is best to approach such a conversa tion or discussion on a healthy, human basis. Though psychological understanding of the conflicts on the part o f both may be helpful, the use o f psy chological jargon and technical language ordinarily becomes merely a new point o f irritation and friction. Often in attempts to come to a quick solution of a situation which is not at all pleasant, one of the parties embroiled in the difference makes some
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JUNE, 1969
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