The Colonel's first reaction to Governor Mark Sanford's political and personal train wreck playing out painfully this week was a mixture of disgust, disappointment, and disbelief. Upon further review, prompted by my gracious God's gentle reminders, it occurs to me that there are some very valuable lessons to be drawn from this debacle.
First though, let's make something clear--I hold no death grip on any claim of moral superiority over anyone. When you look in the margin of the illustrated Good Book, you will find a likeness of the Colonel alongside Paul's Roman attention-getting moral equalizer, "For all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God."
That said, the Colonel has come to the belief that cultural conservatism, as opposed to its platform plank-mate, fiscal conservatism, at the right of the political spectrum, is a politically untenable position. Politics, from what this interested observer can tell from the sidelines, is a no-holds-barred, to-the-death, full-contact sport. If you take a stand, it will be assailed by your opponents and they will not attack your strengths--your weaknesses (see Paul's quote above) will be discovered and exploited. Politics is, in fact, an amoral pursuit. Politics, has at its core, the thinly disguised objective of the accumulation, maintenance, and exercise of power. As far as my faith is concerned, reconciling that objective with the teachings of my Lord and Savior is a difficult proposition.
I'm not advocating intemperance and infidelity as a political position. I'm just saying that we should not be surprised when even the presumably strongest of our leaders demonstrate human frailty. But, I will go out on a limb and posit that perhaps "family values" (whatever that means--and we have lumped a lot under that rubric) should not be a political position. It should be a personal position.
I quickly lose patience with those who supposedly share my faith when they stand up to their knees in their own personal pig stys and point indignantly toward the immoral leadership in the ranks of our state and national politicians. I have been convicted of late that the needed revival of faith that we pray seizes the hearts of our national leaders, must begin in our own hearts first.
2 comments:
Each of us is capable of thinking and doing evil and anyone who thinks he is not had better be ready for a great fall. I think that people can be in politics as fiscal conservatives and people of faith with family values. One's motive for being in politics is the issue. Are you there to amass and maintain power, or are you there with the heart of a public servant seeking to "ensure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and your posterity"? We have to know that we are capable of great evil and everyday put on that full armor of God to do battle. Solomon understood the fight for the heart when he said, "Above all else, guard your heart for it is the wellspring of life."
I was just reading a story about a pastor who preached a sermon titled "I am Jim Bakker". He talked about how we are all susceptible to temptation and at any time anyone of us could fall.
I think what is so disappointing with political figures is that rather than growing in responsibility and leadership it seem that so many feel entitled by their power and in turn are led astray very easily. While it is frustrating for us to feel that we have been let down by people who we have entrusted to be our leaders, I think that we have to take it as a reminder that only God deserves our worship.
Thanks for the post! I love hearing your point of view on what is happening in our world.
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