We’re Not In Kansas Anymore…
As one of my precious Hospice patients was saying goodbye to earth recently, I told her that it was ok to let go and that God was waiting for her when she was ready. On one of the last days of her life, she looked at me in her nearly catatonic state and clearly spoke: “Nance, I had a dream that we need to pray for President Trump.” Since this beautiful patient and I had shared so many political talks together, I jokingly asked, “Are we praying to ask for help for Prez Trump? Or are we praying that his term ends soon?” I couldn’t understand her response, but I saw the slight smile cross her face in a knowingly way. It touched me that today’s political world was on her mind – even in her last moments on this earth. And I found it amazing that compassionate people still care about the world around them – even as they are moving on to their Heavenly home.
When you read Down the Rabbit Hole of Leadership, there is no question as to where this author stands on the subject of Trump. Wow, Kets de Vries is very pointed and direct – no misunderstandings with this author. In his ‘gentle’ statement about Trump, Kets de Vries was pretty clear with regards to his feelings about those who voted for Trump as well: “In voting for a demagogue like Trump, people have demonstrated their ignorance of the consequence of putting their trust in perverse ideologies and autocratic leaders.” The author goes on to share that “it is easy to slip down a rabbit hole” when we don’t learn from our past. It was interesting to learn his perspective on how “we are not going to wake up from a bad dream (like Alice in Wonderland) and discover that everything is “nothing but a pack of cards.”[1] We’re not in Kansas anymore!
Kets de Vries is very direct and pointed in his writing. I was intrigued with the author’s focus on psychopathology within the business world. He shares about the fact of the endless ways that people can make a mess of things in the business world. This includes digital addiction, untruths, and mental issues, according to Kets de Vries.[2] Other dysfunctional behaviors add additional messes to the mix. The author notes: “everyone has gone mad, throwing up all kinds of obstacles in the search for truth.” Yet, as Christians, we know that truth is as close as the Bible for us!
The comparison to Alice in Wonderland made Down the Rabbit Hole of Leadership even more intriguing. The author explores how understanding what is happening around us has become more difficult than ever in the Age of Trump. His observation that “the ability of people in powerful positions to project and displace their personal neuroses into the public sphere” is spot on! In Andy Andrews book, How Do You Kill 11 Million People, he reflects on the power of the Nazi’s during the holocaust. His answer to book title’s question is that YOU LIE TO THEM![3] It’s truly that simple – and also that complicated. Through the lies of Hitler, 11 million people lost their lives. I only pray that history does not repeat itself and that the eyes of people are opened to the lies that surround us in the United States and around the world. May God’s touch be on the earth as we journey into the future and may His clarity open our eyes to the injustices within our world today.
[1] Kets de Vries, Manfred F. R. Down the Rabbit Hole of Leadership: Leadership Pathology in Everyday Life. London: Palgrave MacMillan, 2019.
[2] Kets de Vries, Down the Rabbit Hole.
[3] Andrews, Andy. How Do You Kill 11 Million People? Nashville: Thomas Nelson, Inc., 2011.
About the Author
Nancy VanderRoest
Nancy is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) and fulfills God's calling on her life by serving as a Chaplain & Counselor with Hospice. In her spare time, Nancy works with the anti-human trafficking coalition in her local community.3 responses to “We’re Not In Kansas Anymore…”
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What a wonderful story, Nancy. I wonder if God gave your friend that insight as she was leaving this earth in order to emphasize to us the importance of prayer especially in this season. I believe prayer is the only way we can process the reality we are living through and discover what God is doing in the midst of it all.
Thank you Nancy for sharing about the lady’s wish for prayer, it’s a good reminder of Paul’s admonition to pray without ceasing. Prayer is a gift from God by which we can change the course of things as we pray that His will be done on earth, as it is in heaven.
Nancy, you are always coming up with very great stories from your ministry. The story from the dying lady who requested that we pray for the nation’s leadership was a serious concern she has and a burden she has been carrying for the nation even as she dies, she leaves the spirit of praying for the nation in your hands. in other words, the mission continues even in her death. This is powerful Nancy to hear from one who is dying.