A number of years ago, during an American election
campaign, Billy Graham led a prayer time at the Democratic
Convention. A few months later he prayed at the Republican
Convention.
He said he went to both and offered prayers for both because
both needed help!
Whether people in key leadership positions know it or not—whether
they acknowledge it or not—they need God’s
help.
This morning we conclude our series on the impact of the
Nativity on various people of Jesus’ time. We’ve
looked at evil King Herod and, at the other end of the
spectrum, Mary and Joseph. We began the series with the
lowly shepherds
and today we conclude by again travelling the spectrum
to the opposite end, as we set our sights on the powerful
Magi.
Matthew 2:1-12 tells the story of the visit of men from
the East. Despite the carol, “We Three Kings”,
these men weren’t Kings—they were Magi. The
Magi were probably Priests from Persia, which is now Iran.
Magi
were skilled in philosophy, medicine and natural sciences.
They were soothsayers and interpreters of dreams. They
studied the stars and were experts in astrology.
Now, compared to present day scientists and theologians,
these men were more in tune with superstition than fact.
Indeed, the word “magi” is the root of magic
and magician. But for their time, they were sincere, holy
and wise men.
And—they were powerful! To a great degree their advice
shaped the politics of the day.
Around the time of Jesus’ birth a star appeared that
was most unusual. It caught the attention of the Magi. It
was understood, in those days, that when a strange event
took place it marked something special—often a powerful
change or a special birth. And so the Magi set out to find
the powerful, new leader who had been born. They came bearing
gifts that represented their worship and adoration.
Leaders came to acknowledge a leader.
This morning, as we look at the impact of the Nativity
on the Magi, we really look at its impact on leadership.
When we think of leadership we often think of our elected
officials. But leadership goes beyond those whom we have
elected to an office.
Leadership also has an impact in the business world and
the business world seems to effect everything else.
The media, as much as they claim to only reflect society,
offers leadership to our society and our world. They decide
what we will see and hear and how we will see and hear
it.
Leadership is an important factor in volunteer organizations
as vision for the work is set before the people.
And leadership is vitally important in the Church.
Leadership, in any of its forms, is tied to power.
So, when we look at leadership, we need to look at power.
How do our leaders use power?
Whom does the power benefit?
Is the power seen as a gift or a right?
Does the power become a means to a virtuous end or the end,
in and of itself?
These questions underlie any understanding of leadership.
Our example of the Christ Child informs that foundation.
Jesus Christ, born in the humble surroundings of a stable—born
to a simple, unknown and unremarkable couple—was
also born the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.
The circumstances of His birth don’t take away from
His power. Indeed the humble beginnings actually amplify
it!
Despite all appearances to the contrary, Jesus Christ was
no ordinary human baby. He was the Son of God, come to earth
as a human being. Jesus Christ was and is God. The Magi came
to honour and worship Him.
The powerful leaders of this world, then and now, aren’t
above Him.
They have no power over Him.
They have no power at all unless He allows it.
Whether leaders like it or not—there is a God.
Whether leaders accept it or not—it is true.
Rejecting or ignoring God will not make God go away.
Because the Magi represented the political powers of the
world I want to focus, this morning, on those we elect
to public office.
The questions are: do our elected leaders recognize their
power as a gift, not only from those who have voted for them,
but also a gift from God?
Do they treat their gift of power with proper respect?
Do they use their gift, not for themselves, but for those
to whom they are answerable?
And do they, consciously or unconsciously, honour God by
being responsible in their leadership?
When the citizens of High Wycombe, England, elect a new
council they follow an ancient tradition. All the town
councillors are weighed in public. Those, whose weight is
less than,
or at least not more than when they took office, are
warmly applauded—meaning that they have not grown fat
at public expense.
We have had a year or so of elections—federal, provincial
and municipal. We could have used a lot of weigh scales!
There was also the American Presidential race which captured
headlines for months and months.
Men and women have fought elections. The victors have been
put into office. They are, to one degree or another, about
to shape history. Whether they be George Bush, Paul Martin,
Dalton McGinty, Steve Parish or the local school trustee,
these people have responsibilities and burdens that will
weigh heavily upon them.
No matter who the elected officials are, they have a responsibility
to the people who elected them. They also have a responsibility
to God. They have a responsibility to the King of Kings and
Lord of Lords. They have a responsibility to acknowledge
their own imperfections and weaknesses. They have a responsibility
not to let power go to their heads.
Unfortunately, God and politics don’t always mix
well.
I’m reminded of the situation that took place when
the Canadian Constitution was being approved. I seem to recall
a controversy as to whether God would be acknowledged in
the Constitution’s preamble. In the first drafts God
was left out. Sadly, getting God’s existence recognized
in our country’s primary legal document wasn’t
an easy task.
And this is where the difficulty arises. In our multi-cultural,
increasingly secular society any mention of God is seen as
controversial.
After all, whose God are we talking about?
What about those who don’t believe in God?
How do we protect everyone’s rights when it comes
to something as personal and delicate as faith?
We need only look south of the border and recall the Presidential
campaign which used faith and God as tools to try to
impress voters. One candidate said that the decisions he
made came
because God guided him. He saw himself, literally, as
God’s
instrument in the world. If you criticized him you were
criticizing God. At the same time, the other candidate was
given a rough
time for not emphasizing his faith even though he is
also a devout Christian.
God and politics can be a messy combination. Subjective
opinion backed by different theological perspectives can
lead to poor decisions as well as divided communities.
And so I’m not suggesting that all our political
officials need to be Christians.
But without an appreciation of the Lord God Almighty, politics
may well degenerate into something that can become evil.
Politicians need to remember that they are answerable
to more than the electorate every 2 or 4 or 5 years. There
is
a higher power than voters. God demands integrity, honesty,
compassion and service in those who rule over God’s
people of whatever belief or faith.
Our leaders need to remember God.
But even if they don’t, we need to remember our leaders
to God.
Whether those we have elected believe what we believe or
not, we can still pray for them.
Whether they have the same priorities we have or not, we
can still make our perspective known to them.
Whether they recognize God or ignore God, we can still support
them when they show the integrity, honesty, compassion and
service that we expect from them.
Leadership isn’t easy.
There is much complexity in the political world of our
day. The people who have been elected have ultimately been
placed there by God. We can know that whether our elected
officials recognize it or not.
We can also hold them to the standard that our Lord holds
us all to—not
as those who seek to sit in judgement upon them but as those who seek to
humbly remind our leaders of their responsibilities.
And, in doing so, sincerely encourage
our officials and pray for them in order that they may become the best they
can be.
(1475)
© The Rev. Dennis Cook, St. Timothy’s Presbyterian
Church, Ajax, ON, Canada
