Can we really change? (Deutsche Bank)

Introduce. Thank for time. Come speak.

Introduction

Q: How does our workplaces think about transformation?

Trade secret? Exams.

(A) Previous job. FX / Rate sales to Asian Lifers and other Institutions investors.

What do you have to do before you’re allowed? Yes. Exams. 6 of them.

Hardest exam was Ethics exam. 50% pass rate.

(A) Grim exam venue. “The office.” Dull. Grey. white florescent light tubes. Place that sucked the life out of you.

People herded into room full of computers.

1h clicking away.

mouse hover over submit. click.

Head out. Grumpy lady. Hands you your result immediately.

And the great moment comes. See the big “PASS”

The great transformation happens.

Before you were unethical.

Now you are ethical.

Now you can sell products to your corporate customers because you have a badge that says “ETHICAL”

(pause)

Don’t get me wrong. Not saying Exams = pointless.

Obviously education or mere information transfer has value…

But even if the most charitable among us will say… “often, it feels like just a tickbox exercise”

(A) Imagine: if an exam had a way to test what really goes on inside. Instincts, desires, passions.

Instead of an ethics exam

Score: “does serving the customer come before profit making?

What will be the fail rate?

You can decide :)

We know

Surface change: New Diet. New Gym routine. New habits.

Difficult

but possible.

True change: Desires. Wants. Needs.

Much more difficult. if not impossible.

No button to press to turn greed off.

No switch to push to turn envy off.

True change: much harder. if not impossible.

So can we really change?

Speak directly.

Are there things you dislike about yourself?

Are there things you wish you could change?

What have you tried?

(Pause)

(L) let’s take lead from Melinda’s and her Dad and meet the person of Jesus.

Context

Because there is no other individual of such monumental significance and change.

He changed course of history. BC / AD

Western civilisation founded on his ethical teaching

Self-perseveration to self-sacrifice

Instrumental or utilitarian value of individual to intrinsic human value. Human rights.

Jesus brought about monumental change.

(Pause)

Look at eyewitness account of Jesus. Written by his friend called john.

John spend about three years with Jesus. Hang out. Went to pub together. Travelled together. Learned from him.

Over time, convinced that he was no ordinary man

His teaching.

See inside a person

His miracles.

In public. For the world to see.

Miracles that only God could do.

Ultimately, witness the most extraordinary thing

Died publicly on a Roman Cross

Rose from the grave, appeared to 500 witnesses

Changed the course of human history.

What do you do if you meet someone like that?

Write it down…

Episode. early on in the eye witness account.

Conversation with a religious leader. A man named Nicodemus, comes to confront Jesus.

He does not like change.

And so Jesus gives his analysis of WHY change is extremely difficult

ARGUMENT

1. People loved the darkness

Look at John 3:19 “And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil.”

Did you spot the problem? People loved the darkness

(A) Ever been in total darkness?

Enter dark cave. Water dripping from the ceiling. Air cool and damp.

Further and further away from entrance. No light.

Hand reach to your head lamp. Switch.

Boom. Total darkness.

Look at hands? nothing.

Close eyes? Open eyes? Same.

Disorientating. Scramble around.

Soon you can’t tell..

Where’s right? Where’s left?

That’s Jesus’ assessment of the problem: People are in Darkness.

(L) And I’m assuming that you get by now. described here: Not photons and lightwaves but a metaphor.

Metaphor to describe Nicodemus, the religious leader in front of him. Why they are resistant to change.

Darkness not physical..... but..... moral

Darkness is like being in a cave, but what you can’t see is the truth

Not where’s right or where’s life

but What is right and what is wrong

What is true for you, is true for you.

What is true for me, is true for me.

a claim to individual moral self-autonomy

(Pause)

V - Consider it on a societal level. What used to be true in the past is no longer true now.

(A) A mere two hundred years ago: Slavery seen as a positive good.

But even more recently..

(A) Louis Perry. Journalist and social commentator..

“Case against the sexual revolution” Damaged caused by the sexual revolution in the 70/80s.

Pre-me-too era. Predatory behaviour in the office… while unpleasant, accepted as an inevitable “fact of life”.

Who knows what society deems as good today will not be recognised as evil in the future?

Darkness is moral.

And Jesus says: People are in darkness…

(Pause)

(L) but why are people in darkness?

John 3:19 “And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil.”

We love the self-autonomy

We love deciding what is right in our own eyes

we love acting out our desires with no restrictions

We love staying in the dark… because the light hurts.

(A) let’s talk about hotel bathrooms.

Love. Powerful shower. Love a good shower.

Hate. Mirrors. Magnify. Lights. Super bright lights.

Imagine: Ugly pimple.

Worst place? Tip of your nose. Swells. no foundation or concealer can cover up.

Do you want a hotel bathroom?

Expose the ugly pimp.

Expose the yellow pus that is collecting.

No. You rather stay in the dark because it hides the ugliness outside.

likewise, we love the darkness. because it hides the ugliness inside.

Do you see why change is so difficult? maybe impossible?

Not about routines. Atomic habits.

But the issue is what we love. Our desires. And it seems that we love the dark.

(PAUSE)

I wonder what you make of Jesus’ analysis? Why people don’t change?

Perhaps it may sound a little extreme. But I wonder whether you’re open to the possibility of considering his view.

(Pause)

He says: Problem? People loved the darkness?

Solution to darkness? Is light.

2. Follow the Light

(A) We are back in the cave. total darkness. Raise hands. Can’t see a thing

Voice say “Let there be light!”

Bright light pours into the cave.

Blazing light hits your eyes. it hurts. Immediately cover your eyes to go back into darkness.

Light hurts. When we’ve been in darkness for too long. Light hurts.

Likewise, when the truth shines. It hurts. When we’ve been in darkness for too long.

But the solution to darkness is light

(pause)

pg 34…

Jesus stands in front a of huge crowd

John 8:12.Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.””

Jesus claims to be the light. The agent of change in a world of darkness.

He tells us what is right and wrong

He tells us what is true and false

He tells us what is good and evil.

He claims to be the light in the darkness

(Pause)

Of course that raises the question… how can we know that his claim is true?

And the question we need to reckon with is whether Jesus is good.

is this fair?

It seems to me that people usually have issue with Christianity and not Jesus? (if you can make that distinction)

Amongst other religious figures, the general perception is that other religious figures are questionable

But not with Jesus.

But more than the general perceptions if you read on in John’s eye witness, you will find that he is good.

He stands up to evil

He meets people in their need

He defends those who are his

But ultimately, he dies on the cross

not because he did anything wrong

But because he dies for our sins, and taken our darkness onto himself.

JESUS is Good

His truth is good

The LIGHT is good.

LAND

If you are fine with the way you are, that’s alright. Feel free to ignore what JEsus is saying.

But if you’re not comfortable with who you are.

What are you going to do about it?

How does transformation, true transformation happen?

True transformation

is not achieved by Exams

is not surface change

is not a tickbox exercise

True transformation cannot be solved by

Running a campaign

Doing a PR exercise

or mere education

True transformations happens when someone

Comes out of the darkness and follows the light

“I AM THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD. WHOEVER FOLLOWS ME WILL NOT WALK IN DARKNESS BUT WILL HAVE THE LIGHT OF LIFE.”

Melinda Dad’s life was changed… Will you consider him?

Closing

Aim of these sessions is to offer some food for thought. Encounter Jesus.

Thank you for being generous with your time.

Aware there will be a variety of views in room and that’s fine

Perhaps unanswered questions, so let me offer a few suggestions.

Come back for next event. In a months time. Security.

Interesting. Fascinating.

Understand more of what it means to encounter Jesus

This book

Yours to keep. Take it back. Read it. Come to an informed opinion about Jesus

Suggestion: pencil. mark. tick agree. cross disagree. ? don’t understand.

Ask your friend who invited you to buy you a coffee. Ask your questions.

Time for questions