Here’s a wrong I’ve seen: Fools ascending to high positions and the wise relegated to low ones.*
Have we seen this or what? My bringing it up has nothing to do with this being an election year. We have our share of problems, but a lot of the world has it a lot worse. And has for a long time.
I picked up today’s newspaper and came across a story of rising violence in Venezuela scaring the police. According to the story, murders have more than tripled since Hugo Chavez took office, making Venezuela the most violent country in South America. One observer states that “Chavez promotes the idea that violence forms part of the class struggle against the rich and the landowners, and so it’s not so bad.” Besides that, hiring more police is “a right-wing policy,” so he won’t.
Of course, it’s nothing so noble as “class struggle,” more like gang members trafficking drugs and killing police to rise in status and send a message that they control the territory. The death toll for police in Caracas is up 45 percent since last year.
Bringing it home, the police interviewed were family men, with higher goals, only hoping they’ll make it to retirement alive. During the story’s writing, however, another didn’t.
Okay, so there’s just one example of how a leader affects the state and well-being of the people. There’s more, much more.
An Internet search of the ten worst leaders of state today is revealing, not that they’re there, but how little we hear, particularly of the people suffering under them, and what anyone can do about it. (Chavez is not on the list, by the way.)
It’s easier to consider the worst such powermongers who have gone before, for whom we really have no responsibility. The trend is not hopeful, with the worst wreaking their havoc just in our last century.**
But the Ecclesiastes writer made his comment multiple centuries ago, along with his famous quote, “There’s nothing new under the sun.”
It sounds simple but another verse says, Happy are you, O land, who live under a wise king.***
So the leader, so the course of the ship. And peace on board.
It matters.
__________________
* Ecclesiastes 10: 5, 6 (my paraphrase)
** Stalin, Hitler, Mao, each responsible for over 20 million deaths.
*** Ecclesiastes 10:17 (my paraphrase)
Next: Wisdom for the Asking. Coming Thursday.
Our Lives Together
Its About Life
10:17 am
And “they” keep saying Christianity has caused more deaths than anything else in history. Its obvious that secularism is the rightful owner of “caused more deaths then anything else in history.”
11:22 am
Yes, I’ve wondered this too–especially with the Africa continent. In our own country I’ve asked, “Is this the best we can come up with?–but as you’ve stated, far worse in other place. At least we’re relatively safe.
“There are no kings inside the Gates of Eden.”
–Bob Dylan, “Gates of Eden”
Pastor Adam Barton
Akron, Ohio
4:10 pm
A friend of mine returned from a three week trip to Africa a while back, after serving a sea of orphans in a setting of poverty and squalor stating, “That, was reality.” It’s a huge part of our broken world, living what he experienced. Here, we’re oblivious to much, if not most of the evil and suffering that takes place around the clock under tyrants such as you bring to view, Hyatt. It breaks my heart to see how the media dictates our awareness of the world’s hurts. Francis Shaeffer said that the biggest blight on the Western world is its “uncompassionate distribution of wealth.” Thankfully there are many who are giving it up to address these global needs, but the cause is staggering. God help us with our vision, to see how He sees.
10:57 pm
Oh, Hyatt, this is exactly why every believer especially, man and woman, needs to vote this November. The reason we are such a great nation is slipping away under this current leadership. Our country absolutely needs to swing the pendulum in God’s direction, or God help us! Literally! At the Democrat’s National Convention, I don’t know if you saw this part of it, but they were voting for God not to be mentioned during the convention! They were voting on it by who was loudest in their cheers for a yea or nay asking three times and it was equal from what I heard! The ring leader decided that the people against God won! Thus, they chose to not mention God at the convention. I am reading the New Testament cover to cover and I am in Acts where Paul, formerly Saul, was the amazing apostle and when people spoke out against God——heaven help them!——–they were burned and died on the spot. I feared for that man at the DMC who did this too and took on the Almighty Lord publically like that. Wow. Scary. And yes, scary that there are so many idiots as the heads of countries. It is amazing how they get into those high positions. I have always wondered that. (eg. well, and Hitler is just one of many good egs) Lisa
11:05 am
Thank you Hyatt for bringing these very sad truths to light.