As a person deeply convicted by the doctrines of Christianity, I’m often inclined to keep myself aloof from all that’s in the centre of complacency, compromises and promises of power in leadership especially in the established institute like politics. I feel many of my fellow believers would share the same ’apathetic’ opinion. However, as a ‘chosen people’ who have been imparted the knowledge of the truth, who claims to have the wisdom of God, I believe it is our responsibility and calls for more involvement in administration of our society and our country. I think our involvement is called for directly or indirectly to make both our religious communities and our government more accountable to key values, that is, make them pro-justice, pro-peace, pro-environment, pro-equality, pro-consistent ethic of life, pro-family, etc. Our biblical faith and religious traditions simply does not allow us as an individual and as a nation to continue to ignore the poor and marginalized, deny racial justice, tolerate the ravages of war, or turn away from the human rights of those made in the image of God. These are values of love, justice, reconciliation, community that Jesus taught and that we are the core of what many of us believe, Christian or not.
In the light of ongoing elections, I would like to bring up the challenges of choosing leaders. Better still, how about aspiring to be a leader? We need John the Baptist of the day; an intrepid voice in the desert that will not compromises principles, quiet conscience, nor mellows morality. We need leaders who are sincere in promise, faithful in discharge of duty, upright in finance, loyal in service and honest in speech. We need leaders who are disciplined, visionary, wise, courageous, humble, and full of veracity. We need leaders who are spirit filled and servant hearted, someone who is confident in God than self-confident, who knows God more than he knows men, who seeks God’s will than makes his own decision, who is more humble than ambitious, who follow God’s example than just creates methods, who delights in obedience to God more than enjoying in commanding, who loves God and others than personal rewards. I think only Christians have this salt-like quality; only we (Christians) have this secret ‘dunamis’ to be a leader.
How long we keep on justifying our faith, while deny God’s call to heal the nation. How long we keep on praying for change instead of being an agent for change? Introspect. God would You raise us leaders in our country such as Martin Luther King Jr., Nelson Mandela, and Desmond Tutu, who will hold political leaders and policies accountable by integrating the deepest moral convictions into our nation’s public life.
…To aspire leadership is an honorable ambition. 1 Tim 3:1 NEB
