Choosing Leaders

We take direction from our leaders.

A wise magistrate educates his people, and the rule of an intelligent person is well ordered. As the people's judge is, so are his officials; as the ruler of the city is, so are all its inhabitants. An undisciplined king ruins his people, but a city becomes fit to live in through the understanding of its rulers. The government of the earth is in the hand of the Lord, and over it he will raise up the right leader for the time. Human success is in the hand of the Lord, and it is he who confers honor upon the lawgiver. Do not get angry with your neighbor for every injury, and do not resort to acts of insolence. Arrogance is hateful to the Lord and to mortals, and injustice is outrageous to both. Sovereignty passes from nation to nation on account of injustice and insolence and wealth. How can dust and ashes be proud? Even in life the human body decays. A long illness baffles the physician; the king of today will die tomorrow. For when one is dead he inherits maggots and vermin and worms. The beginning of human pride is to forsake the Lord; the heart has withdrawn from its Maker. For the beginning of pride is sin, and the one who clings to it pours out abominations. Therefore the Lord brings upon them unheard-of calamities, and destroys them completely. The Lord overthrows the thrones of rulers, and enthrones the lowly in their place. The Lord plucks up the roots of the nations, and plants the humble in their place. The Lord lays waste the lands of the nations, and destroys them to the foundations of the earth. He removes some of them and destroys them, and erases the memory of them from the earth. Pride was not created for human beings, or violent anger for those born of women. - Ecclus. 10:1-18

All throughout the country, people are rushing out to vote. Early voting is valid in many states. I can understand the desire to get this election season behind us, and who doesn't know which of the two candidates for President they plan to vote for?

But what about the local elections? Do we have any clue what these candidates stand for?

The wisdom of Ben Sirach tells us that the ones we choose as leaders matter. And this was written at a time when you couldn't choose. So, choosing is a big deal.

Sirach says that the Lord raises up the lowly to take the place of the mighty, but the Lord seems to be taking a break from politics these days. All around the world, leaders are raising themselves up to positions of power, and they are not the lowly or the most humble.

So, maybe this is a warning that God may intervene, but He hasn't so far, and some truly horrible people have been in power.

It is up to us, then. We need to know who we are voting for, and they need to be honest about what they will do.

That could be a challenge since the game seems to promise everything and do nothing.

More to come...