The ‘A’ Syndrome

My attention has been drawn to the disturbing topic of exam cheating that I thought I should bring out some causes and the implications of the same.

When A becomes the ultimate in success it will not be surprising that everything will be done to attain it. You see, only eating can satisfy hunger. And like the Bible says to the hungry every bitter thing is sweet. And due to our hunger for that A, anything we can do to attain it is justified, of course except getting caught. The A justifies anything we do to obtain it.

Let me digress before I lose track of a truth I wanted to share. If a child cheats to get that elusive A, what will keep this same girl from sleeping with a lecturer to get the same in university? What will prevent him from selling drugs to get enough money to bribe the same lecturer since he ‘unfortunately’ is not a girl? What will restrain the same from peddling their body to the highest bidder to be able to live in extreme comfort, especially since working hard is not necessary? And what will stop them from taking short cuts, from bribing to slandering competition to offering sexual favors to get promotions when in employment?

What will you expect when the same character becomes a teacher or lecturer? What between excellence and a gift will get their commendation?

And I am stating this more for us parents because we are the ones who encourage, even facilitate the pursuit of that A. I have heard that in most of the cheaters it was the parents who bought smart phones to receive the leaks and even paid for them.

Since we are looking at A, I want to also look at another aspect of the same. Do you know that there are those who get the A without any effort while others will do everything possible yet will be unable to obtain a C? There is one who will only attend class and effortlessly get an A. Another may miss all the classes and will only have to browse the notes casually to get an A. All the time some other people are doing everything in their power, studying without a break and doing all assignments and never missing a class. Yet to them getting a C will be an achievement.

Imagine a teacher marking their papers. Of course the A student will have ‘well done’, ‘excellent’ written beside their marks. But the underwater (below C level) student who has done their best will have ‘put more effort’ or ‘pull up your socks’ beside their grades. We thus tell one to pull socks up when we commend the one who does not have any socks, maybe even shoes. What message are we passing to those hard workers when we commend idlers just because they have obtained a grade without effort?

I for one fell into the group of those who passed without much effort. And even then it did not make any sense that I would be commended for doing nothing other than attending class when I knew that there were those who almost sweated blood and could not approach the commendation. Even as a child it did not look fair at all. Though it felt nice to receive all the accolades, it did not make sense that people who did all the homework and assignments and were most faithful in all ways in class and outside were reproved when I never did assignments or wrote notes and only read novels any time I had to sit down not forgetting that my name was the first on the noisemakers list (interestingly enough even when I was absent) yet I was always feted.

Looking back as a parent I can authoritatively say that that kind of grading is rotten through and through. I know people who worked so hard yet learnt to write their name in fifth grade or even later. Incidentally there are some who were unable to connect in their early years who became A students much later, some even in college and they then became exemplary. I think it is important to remind us that Einstein’s teacher had labeled him retarded!

I am not saying that we should stop grading altogether. What I mean is that we should make our grading consistent with the way our children are wired. As an example most inventors are not strong on the academics. Looking at the stories and interviews of some people who have designed ground breaking things you will find out that very few have any logical or academic explanation for what they designed. I have watched some security systems which are laughable from my electronics professional eyes, especially looking at the circuits and the way its wiring is done, but they work. Their explanation is even worse because it is not logical.

But I also want us to look at the end result of our unnatural focus of that A.

We leave too much slack on the A scorers irrespective of the amount of work they put in attaining it. That is the reason many of them get into drugs and other destructive pastimes. You see, if I can get the A everybody is dying to get without a sweat, why should I waste my time studying yet there is no higher grade to aim at? Surely there must be something I can do when the others are sweating to catch up with me or approach my effortless grade! I am grateful to God that I used that time to read novels. And I have read many. In fact in primary school I read all the novels in two secondary schools. And I can tell you that not all the books I was reading were healthy. Some were cancerous to my spirit. But I had too much free time to do something when the rest were studying.

Even on the family front the A students are rarely handed heavy tasks and are rarely punished enough so that their precious brain cells are not injured. Again I thank God that I did not experience tat because my mother, having never gone to school probably did not understand she could destroy those brain cells through discipline.

The reality is that the world does not cut a slack for those we celebrate as A students. You see God created us to eat from our labor. In God’s scheme of things the D student who worked hard to move from E has put more effort than that natural A student though we will say he has not passed. By the way the one who cheated to get straight As is a thief and should be lynched.

That is why in the marketplace very few A students excel. They lack the drive as they were taught from an early age that with their intelligence they could easily acquire what takes hard work for others. That mindset is dangerous. And the same goes for those who buy that A. They believe they can buy anything in life, forgetting that hard work can never be bought or compromised.

The sad part is that most do not associate that A with a gift from God. Of course it is not a gift if we have bought it.

That is why the bulk of musicians start it in church and with their proficiency drift away into the world. They believe that God is involved in nurture but not excellence. We think God does not offer the accolades the world offers us for our gifts. What we forget is that someone does not clap for you for owning something they gave you. Imagine someone giving you a nice piece of clothing and commending you all the time for wearing it!

But we are talking about the world versus the A students. The education grading system allows A students to jump the queue of opportunities because they are presumably the best there is. The world has no such shortcuts. They will therefore think that the world is against them as they find that not only do they have to queue to get, they many times will have to push and shove to even get to that queue. They will therefore join the world at a disadvantage. Again it is no wonder the trauma they encounter many times leads them to despair, sometimes even suicide.

But it is in ministry it is most pronounced.

How many preachers get away with heresy because their presentation is flawless? How many musicians get away with sexual immorality because their mastery of instruments is second to none or their voices can charm a snake out of its hole? How many writers are bedfellows with the other world because their mastery of words will make one cry? How many spew one false prophecy after another yet are untouchable because their teaching spurs the best in us (our assessment)? How many evangelists get away with sin and rebellion because their harvest of souls is huge? How many corrupt individuals get leadership positions in church because their offerings are huge or their position in the rotten world is prominent?

We have taken our fascination with A to the spiritual realm. We will therefore apply the commandments to the rest even as we turn a blind eye to the A performers. Some do not care to know whether they are even believers in Christ.

It is no wonder that the ones able to access support are the A ministers irrespective of whether they have the call of God or not, and especially if they have no call as they become very able conmen. This is because their A status causes people to fall over each other to fete them as they do to all the other geniuses.

Why do preachers forget the cross, or sin and holiness once they attain the A status in preaching? Why do women singers start dressing like harlots once they attain the A status in their music? Why do writers forget responsible Christian living and focus on motivation that they comfortably share with nonbelievers and even enemies of the cross once their writing attains the A status?

Why are there demonstrations against political affairs and politicians by the church when there is none against the rampant sin prevalent in our churches, especially among the leadership? Why is the church more militant against poverty and silent against sin which is the cause of all the rottenness in our world, including that poverty? Why does a church exclude someone from their fellowship for being critical of the worldliness being spewed from the pulpit yet is very silent when homosexuality is mentioned?

We have simply said that A is good whichever route it takes to get to us. A pastor who can fill an auditorium with offering-giving crowds must be made to appear beyond reproach even if he sleeps with his parishioners. A musician who thrills us with his music can never be at fault even if his songs are blasphemous like many I have mentioned in some posts. What we are saying is that the success we can see is of greater worth than God’s revelation, even standards.

One reason we do this is the common phrase, ‘who can argue with success?’ I think this is the devil’s most potent argument because very few think it is open to disagreement.

We can argue with success. In fact the Bible says we test all things, from doctrine to prophecy to our own faith. But we do not use whims for the same. God has provided His word to guide us to do it.

Solomon was successful. But do you know the source of that success? Do you know the cost of the fact that silver was as common as stones to his people?

Do you realize that that wealth introduced idolatry as an official policy in Israel? And why do I say that. He had seven hundred wives who were princesses from the idolatrous nations far and wide. In other words he became successful by introducing other gods to Israel. He personally trashed his famous prayer as he dedicated the temple by creating room for idols there. That was the reason God said he would split that kingdom.

We also know that he ruthlessly taxed his people as we find that as the reason they seceded. He was the envy of the other nations even as his people groaned from his taxation. He gave liberally to his guests from other nations like we see with the queen of Sheba what his people had sweated for.

Do you boast of the fact that your pastor grew your church from a handful or people to thousands? Have you allowed God’s word to test you and your success? Who brought all those people? Who are those people? What is his relationship to all those people?

It is an open secret that there are pastors who sleep with demons to get members. There are others who undergo treatment on the other side to grow their churches. There are others who plant charmers in church to bring in the numbers. Yet others trash Biblical preaching for motivation to make abominable characters feel welcome in church. And of course there are others whose faithfulness to God brings in the numbers.

As a test how does your pastor relate to his congregation? Does categorize people? Are there some he can meet at no notice while others have to wait for weeks or even months to get his precious time? Who finds it easier to meet this great man, the rich and influential or the needy? Will he drop everything to go dedicate a business enterprise yet have no time to counsel with a couple whose marriage is crying for his wise counsel as it is on the verge of breaking?

A pastor who has no time for the weak and vulnerable is not serving Christ’s interests even if he has a million members. A pastor who winks at sin or pretends not to notice it also does not represent Christ. A pastor who does not leave the ninety nine safe sheep to look for the one lost one is not a pastor after Christ. And a pastor who is a CEO of a structure and system is not even a pastor.

Numbers are real. But they are not the ultimate gauge of success. They many times are a cover up of our backslidden state as they soothe our sin laden consciences with the devil’s argument about success.

The Bible and its standards is the only true gauge of our success. And I do not mean stringing verses to support rotten theology. Again Matthew 7: 21 – 23 is a response to success stories. Or is it not?

To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them. (Isaiah 8:20)

May we allow God’s word to determine everything concerning us.