Again and again, some leaders and political figures see themselves as chiefs and principals, even in the spiritual realm, claiming a place among angels. Who would recognise them there?
guest column: Fr Oskar Wermter SJ
Some top people don’t mind that their propaganda agents give them a place right next to the Lord himself. Clearly there they bite off too big a chunk.
If you claim such an exalted position, you want to be sure that your thoughts, words and actions are on the same level. You want to be an angel, or a hero, never seen before, or a divine being, too, anything less will just not do.
People of genuine faith are expected to act accordingly, e.g. “Do to no one what you would not want anyone do to you!”. In other words, we must follow the Galilean; whereas revenge, and paying back evil with evil, and settling scores, just do not belong to a Christian’s way of life.
If leaders claiming Messianic’ status were to observe that, who would object? But if those “Messiahs” merely claim power and political privilege, who would have respect for them or receive them with admiration?
The Christ came with a mission of peace and reconciliation.
Already our first parents failed to keep the peace, this most fundamental gift which man and woman, meant for each other, had been expected to share, while building up house and family.
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Even in our time, is there anyone who offers an open hand in reconciliation to a neighbour, let alone an old enemy or ancestral foe?
Our world is torn into bits, terrorism forces people into a lifestyle dominated by fear and horror, and even families no longer enjoy the warmth of the lifestyle they once enjoyed, migration depriving people of the sense of togetherness and mutual help they need.
The relationships between men and women suffer, critical moments are no longer shared, and marital intimacy suffers. What should be moments of mutual support turn into moments of even greater crisis and mutual suspicion.
Gender violence is spreading fast. Marital rape is just another epidemic. Is that what bridal couples had in mind when they posed for their wedding photo?
Southern Africa is afflicted with sexual violence, at a time when women try to enhance their dignity, and increase the respect they enjoy in the community.
Men drive women into the so-called sex industry, which seems to offer the only way out. This cannot be the freedom women were hoping for. It looks more like a defeat in the “war between the sexes”.
Our humanity is fully developed and really blooming once both man and woman are equally present and visible in the family, community and society in general.
But well beyond the family as a biological unit, feminine qualities are needed in society at large, and fathers are indispensable for the development of sons and daughters.
Standing up for the truth, courage in private and public matters, sheer honesty in a corrupted world — parents, including fathers, who can teach this by example, are still badly needed, and should not be despised as “patriarchs”.
No society can live without compassion and sheer humanity, which is often the department where women are very strong.
Leaders who hope for the glory and power of a “Messiah” may fail to contribute these profoundly human qualities. Only parents who possess them can pass them on to the next generation of leaders.
Leaders longing for “Messiahship” — have they considered the price to pay? Have they the self-control to be able to approach their rivals with respect, recognising their positive and constructive qualities? Can they tolerate contradiction, opposition or antagonism as any democratic leader must be able to put up with?
If leaders want to be respected as the only true “Messiah” was respected, they still have to struggle a lot against their own lethargy and smugness. To become a guide and leader of integrity is a major exertion. It does not come cheap.
Fr Oskar Wermter SJ writes in his personal capacity.
