Dissecting Dahmer

Jeffrey Dahmer – just the mention of his name invokes all types of emotions and images….none of which are comforting or pleasant. We describe him with words like depraved, psycho, evil, disgusting, mental, and the like. There is a new series entitled “Monster, The Jeffrey Dahmer Story” and being that I am fascinated by all things related to serial killers, I decided to watch it.

The show is a recreation of facts and events surrounding Dahmer’s life, and even for a seasoned veteran like myself, it is difficult to watch. Many believe the reason for the difficulty in watching is the fact that his actions are pure EVIL and demonic, which they are. Here comes a tough pill to swallow... the same source for Dahmer’s choices is the same source that causes you and I to sin. WHAT? Yes, the Enemy, Adversary, Demon, Devil – whatever word you choose – is the same influencer of sin in our own lives.

Man has established a tolerance scale with regard to the degrees of sin; however, God has not. He sees sin as sin. Do we have the same reaction to “Fifty Shades of Grey” we do to Dahmer’s story? I’d suggest we have become desensitized to many demonic spiritual influences in our own life. How about soap operas? Are we put off by a movie script that promotes conflict, scheming, and infidelity? What about the lyrics to secular music? Do the words promote godly wisdom, are they beneficial to the building up of character or do they encourage us to drink and make our clothes fall off? What about the conversations we’ve had when we “discuss” others? Are we building up others with our words? Where is our disgust?

As atrocious as Jeffrey’s actions were, according to God’s laws, his actions were no worse than when I gossip, slander another person, lust, lie, cheat, commit adultery, steal, create idols, etc. Sin is sin and ALL are guilty of breaking God’s laws.

Don’t take my word for it. Romans 3:23 (ERV – Easy to Read Version) tells us that “all have sinned and are not good enough to share God’s divine greatness.” Did you catch the word ALL? Talk about a reality check. You mean to tell me that I fall into the same “sinner” category as Jeffrey Dahmer? The use of the word ALL would make that true. Human nature wants to justify “our own stuff,” you know, minimize our sins – yet magnify what others are doing. I’ve heard it explained this way: we want mercy and grace for ourselves, but justice for everyone else. That seems fair, right?

Can we just be honest? We ALL mess up (aka sin). I know I may slip up a little here and there – I might have gossiped a little, and yeah, I’ve told a fib. Like everyone else, I’ve appreciated a good-looking person sporting a toned and buff physique a little more than I should have, but I’ve never done anything that compares to Jeffrey Dahmer’s actions. I have never stalked, kidnapped, tortured, or killed anyone.

See how easy it is to justify “our” stuff? Our stuff includes - but is not limited to - pride, anger, unbelief, stealing, lying, lusting, gluttony, sowing discord, gossiping, slander, drunkenness, haughtiness, etc. "but surely God looks at me differently than the Jeffrey Dahmers of the world."

Here’s the thing: if you believe God’s Word to be true, it clearly states ALL have sinned and none of us are worthy on our own merit. We are ALL guilty! The Book of Romans drives home the truth that God’s plan of redemption has everything to do with His nature and zero to do with us being able to save ourselves. We are ALL – there’s that word again – evil by nature, we are ALL sinners and we ALL fall short.

Man, that’s some heavy stuff but we aren’t left without hope. The good news of the gospel is that God, in His mercy, made a way for you and me to be forgiven and redeemed from the death sentence sin demands. Faith in Jesus Christ is our source of hope and the way to have eternal life with Him– He is the only way. Scripture is very clear about that. We must believe in the promises of God when He says “They are made right with God by His grace. This is a free gift. They are made right with God by being made free from sin through Jesus Christ.” Romans 3:24 (ERV)

As we allow the Holy Spirit to examine the condition of our hearts, may we recognize the traps of self-justification and our judgmental attitudes. While watching this series, the Holy Spirit reminded me that God loved Jeffrey Dahmer as much as He loves me, and when it comes to God’s standards, apart from Christ, I am no better than Jeffrey Dahmer.

Be clear, I am in no way excusing or minimizing Jeffrey Dahmer’s choices; however, I am issuing a challenge for us to stop excusing and/or minimizing “our” choices. May we face the hard truths with a repentant heart, fully grasping the concept that God’s love and redeeming grace is for ALL mankind.