One of the big problems with American politics
right now, on both sides of the aisle, is that a good number of politicians are
making decisions with one main objective in mind, to retain power. When they
become more concerned with retaining power than with doing what is right they
become beholden to press, and popularity instead of principle. They become more concerned
with who wins than they do about what is right. I think this is paralyzing,
polarizing and antagonizing our country right now.
I was thinking of this while studying Matthew chapter 2 in the Bible this
morning. The thought occurred to me that many of the most notorious acts that
were ever committed in the Bible were performed by those who were trying to
gain or retain power. Just a couple of examples will suffice to make the point though I am sure that
there are many more.
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| Killing of Innocents by Herod, by Leon Cogniet, |
Why did Herod slay all the children that were in Bethlehem
from two years old and under? Because his power felt threatened when the wise men
came to worship “the king of the Jews”? Maintaining power was so important to
him that the tender feelings of mothers and fathers, siblings and others who
would have to see their babies slain meant nothing to him. Pathetic
Why did the Sanhedrin want Jesus, who had taught peace,
healed the sick, lame, and diseased, and even raised men from the dead to die
so badly? Jesus was having a great influence and they were losing theirs. They
wanted to hold on to power and popularity so badly that they violated common
sense, lied, and were accessories to the death of the Son of God. Pathetic. Even
Pilate recognized it was for envy (Mark 15:10).
And what of Pilate? Why did Pilate deliver Jesus up to be
crucified in spite of the fact that he knew Jesus was innocent and in spite of
being warned not to do so by his own wife because of a dream that she had had the
night before? He wanted to “content the people” (Mark 15:15). He was more
worried about being popular with the people and maintaining power than he was about
principle. Pathetic.
I think it is time for the even minded, everyday Americans
to come together and to solve America’s problems instead of allowing politicians
to continually use those problems as political footballs and to use platitudes
and hyperbole to stir up fear, anger, mistrust and to make us all suspicious of
one another in order to maintain their power and influence. It is time to punt the power hungry polarizing politicians out of
their place, and replace them with those who are driven by true principles that
we believe in. I believe that in the heart of most Americans are simple principles
that if followed would solve many problems in our country. I hope that I am
right. I know that when I sit down with some of my Democratic friends and hear
their point of view, and share mine, we have a lot in common, they agree with my
point of view and I agree with theirs in many many instances. Why is it that
our politicians seem to agree on nothing? I think that Republicans fear that if
they agree with a Democrat’s idea, even if it is a good one, it may come back
to haunt them during reelection time and vice versa.
We need to wake up, Republicans, Democrats and Others. We need to stop worrying about winning and start worrying
about what’s
right. We need to elect individuals who are driven by principle, not
power. If
when those individuals get into office, we the people sense that their
sole
goal is to stay there and maintain their power and benefit from it rather than to do what is
right for the American people, we need to
get them out of there and put someone in their place who is principle
driven
not power driven. If in the coming days we become a polarized populous,
elect a
Pilate like President, a Sanhedrin like Senate and Herod like House, we
will
continue to become more and more divided. As each political party
continues to pursue power, the irony is the United States of America
will become less and less powerful. We can't let that happen.
