I know that many of you that receive this newsletter/blog live outside the United States and so right up front I want to apologize for back to back editions with US dominated themes. Having said that, I think what is happening here in my own country should give pause to all of you around the world. If you’ve watched the news the last few weeks, you are aware that we are a nation in crisis. The daily media focus has been on the disaster in the US financial markets that are now affecting the world economy. As I’ve watched things unfold, I have come to the conclusion that we have a more pervasive problem than just a financial crisis.  What we are witnessing on TV is merely the bad fruit of a much deeper and more serious problem in our elected officials and those of us that elect them. In my opinion, what is plaguing us is not unique to the US, but to mankind in general. Its root is in the heart and it manifests itself in the deadly combination of greed and selfish ambition.  The Biblical author James warned two thousand years ago…

“For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice. (James 3:16 NIV)

While we sit at home yelling at our TV’s in frustration at the incompetence of our government officials, we must remind ourselves that we live in a democracy therefore we are getting exactly what we voted into office. In other words, those incompetent, greedy, self-centered officials reflect our values or at least they reflect a majority of us. Maybe its time we take a long hard look at ourselves first and see what’s in our own hearts.

I must confess that at the moment, on Nov. 4^th, I will be exercising some serious mental gymnastics to get myself out of bed. I need to find some motivation to drag myself down to the polling place. I am committed to doing my civic duty as a citizen and casting my vote, but unless something changes soon, it will be done with absolutely no signs of life from me. I’m feeling frustrated because it feels like I’m being forced to choose between bad and worse. I also resent the fact that for all practical purposes I’m limited to two choices with any chance of winning.

Compounding my problem is the fact that I have always prided myself in being one of those “Independents” that the candidates fight over in the final weeks before the election. This typically creates a quandary for me as my “perfect” candidate is made up of pieces from each of the candidates. I have this same problem with fast food. I want a Burger King Whopper with McDonald’s Fries and a Chocolate Shake from Wendy’s.  Why can’t life be that convenient?  It would all be so much easier if I was simply a one party guy. I could then abdicate the difficult decision-making process by putting my brain in neutral and voting a party line. The problem is I’m not wired that way and I just can’t paint life in large, broad, general stokes like that. I hate stereotypes as well; they are the result of a lazy mind. Life is more complicated than that. I care, I want to do the right thing, and I want to make the right decision.

I was surprised some years ago when reading President George Washington’s farewell address at the end of his term of office. Washington wasn’t to keen on political parties and warned the nation against the dangers of the two party system that was then emerging. I think his words need hearing again as they have been proven true.

“They [political parties] serve to organize faction, to give it an artificial and extraordinary force; to put, in the place of the delegated will of the nation, the will of a party, often a small but artful and enterprising minority of the community; and, according to the alternate triumphs of different parties.”

As significant as the political arena is, the real power that determines change is what resides in the hearts of men. Governments, institutions and corporations are all powerful vehicles for getting things accomplished, but what is in the hearts of the men that lead them, determines whether they are used for good or evil. There is no such thing as an evil Government. There are only evil men that use government for their own self-ambition, satisfying their ravenous hunger for wealth and power.

Over the last few weeks I’ve tried to stay up with current events. As I’ve watched what’s been unfolding, it has given me much food for thought. I’d like to share a few personal observations.

Crisis of Responsibility

As I’ve watched the news coverage of the current financial crisis this last week, it’s really frustrated me. I have been taken back by the glaring lack of anyone standing up and taking responsibility for a single thing! At first it was no ones fault and then it was everyone else’s fault.

The question I kept finding myself asking as I watched this unfolding circus was “are these adults or are they children?” These are supposedly grown, educated and mature adults, the best our country has to offer. These are the ones we voted into office to manage the country on our behalf. Now the worlds markets are in absolute chaos and all they can do is point the finger across the isle and blame the other guy. As Washington predicted, the good of the party and not the nation takes precedent.

Does this not remind you of when you were a kid and got caught with one of your siblings stealing chocolate chip cookies from the cookie jar? There you both stood side by side with this look of innocence on your faces like nothing was wrong. Of course the fact that your cheeks were streaked with chocolate smudges and crumbs were falling off your lips was a dead give away to mom. We always wondered how she got to be so smart. When you finally figured out that neither the innocent look nor the denial tactic was working, you switched strategies to the “it’s their fault… they gave it to me” strategy. This of course was done in hopes off avoiding getting spankings from dad as his always hurt more.

Not taking responsibility and blame shifting is just not unique with children; it was also the first fruits of the fall of Adam and Eve. Adam would not take responsibility for his choice to eat from the true of knowledge and blamed it all on Eve.  God was none to happy about either of their behaviors and guess what, he removed them from office. They were no longer the heads of the Department of Interior.

From my perspective, people that can’t take personal responsibility shouldn’t be in leadership. We need to see a lot more of Harry Truman’s motto “the buck stops here!”

Crisis of Leadership

Elizabeth and I watched the first Presidential debate together in hopes of getting inspired…it didn’t happen. At times I felt like I was watching the battle of the bobble heads fitted with a button for pre-recorded messages. No matter the question moderator Jim Lehrer asked, the two candidates answered with a pre-fabricated statement that didn’t even address the question! It was like they needed to make sure they got at least one pre-recorded jab in no matter the context of the question.

There was one particular moment in the debate that for me was very enlightening. Lehrer asked both candidates that “in light of the current financial crisis, which of your proposed programs would you take off the table and tell the American people no.” We sat there and watched in amazement as neither candidate would answer the question. In fact, all they talked about was what they would do or give the American people.

For me this moment was significant as what I was observing is from my perspective one of the root issues that has caused people to lose respect for those in government.  Our current political system is ruled by politicians and is devoid of true leaders. A true leader understands the crisis at hand and from a place of conviction tells the public the truth. He then puts a plan in place and tells us all what we need to sacrifice in order to complete the mission.  He inspires us to individually sacrifice for the benefit of us all. Leaders have the power to motivate using the truth. Politicians on the other hand obtain favor by giving people what they want. They are man pleasers and go which ever direction the popular wind blows as they have no real conviction.

If there was ever an opportune time for the Christian community to stand up and take leadership its now. The problem is that the same “political” mindset has crept into the church leadership in our country. Church growth is now a strategy about creating an environment where we “meet everyone’s needs.” I don’t want to belittle the needs of people but is that really the primary purpose of the church? Is that what the apostles spent their time building.

There is a leadership vacuum both within the political arena and the Christian community. Historically, crisis has been the staging ground for new leadership. I think crisis in here and change is coming. I pray we pick leaders with strength of character.