Moral Governance

Politics has never been a game of morality, goodness, honesty, and the wholesale promotion of the general welfare. It has ever been about power, privilege, and special interests. Pretending otherwise is foolishness. There is a reason Jesus eschewed political power for himself and his disciples. There is a reason the Hebrew Scriptures did not envision a monarchy as God's design for the national welfare. There is a reason Jesus never left a political structure in place for God's Reign on earth.

Power corrupts, for human beings are corruptible.

When we place people in power who desire power, corruption tends to be exacerbated. The greater the power, the greater the pull towards corruption, and the further we get from the promotion of the general welfare, especially for those on society's margins.

The Hebrew prophets called those in power to account for how the poor, widows, orphans, immigrants, sick, and injured fared under their reign. The gospel is never about protecting the wealthy, the strong, or the powerful. It is always about protecting the most vulnerable. It is about seeking out the one lost sheep, rather than comforting the ninety-nine who are secure. It is about empowering the voiceless, rather than emboldening those with the greatest influence, wealth, and power.

From Saul to David to Solomon to Herod to Pilate to Caiaphas to Washington, Jefferson, Lincoln, Clinton, Bush, Obama, and Trump, political leaders have ever had blood on their hands. It is an exceedingly difficult thing to wield power in the best interests of the governed. It is a grave responsibility all too few of us can handle and even fewer should be afforded.

The Hebrew prophets called the nation's leaders to account for how the least powerful fared under their rule. It is the voiceless, the powerless, and the most vulnerable who tell us the true measure of our elected officials, policies, laws, and systems of governance. Are we any more in touch with the issues they face than those we nominate and elect to office? Do we even know who they are or how they are affected by what we consider normal life?

"As you have done unto the least of these you have done unto Me." - Jesus


— ©Copyright 2020, Christopher B. Harbin

http://www.sermonsearch.com/contributors/104427/

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