Once upon a time, reporters looked the other
way when confronted with presidential misbehavior. I think character mattered more back then –
which oddly enough was why moral lapses were hushed up. In recent years, character has gotten more
flabby – but reporters pounce on every little innuendo or mixup. We are an exceedingly permissive society, but
then nothing is ever forgiven.
Should we insist upon stellar character in
leaders? Or do we want whoever will get the job we want done? Do we harbor the crazy idea that a politician
who’s not squeaky clean but a bit crooked actually will get stuff done in a
crooked world? Many Americans would rank
Jimmy Carter as being morally pure – but maybe not as effective as, let’s say,
Bill Clinton, who was far less pure. As
Christians do we seek effectiveness or holiness?
Presidential historian Talmage Boston
suggests the President should be the nation’s “conscience-in-chief.” Who else
might exhibit virtue more publicly and have a larger impact on society? Doesn't a President's uprightness matter in terms of the kinds of people we become, and who represents us morally on the world stage?
In American politics, we are addicted to character assault. The harshness of the fault-finding is relentless, and corrodes something at the core of our national soul. Think about it: if any one of us were subjected to constant nit-picking, if a bevy of snoops were making public an email you sent two years ago or something you said at a party last month, if your lamest moves and weakest moments were paraded in public, if a fact-checker were applied to every story you recounted from your college years, none of us would emerge unscathed.
In American politics, we are addicted to character assault. The harshness of the fault-finding is relentless, and corrodes something at the core of our national soul. Think about it: if any one of us were subjected to constant nit-picking, if a bevy of snoops were making public an email you sent two years ago or something you said at a party last month, if your lamest moves and weakest moments were paraded in public, if a fact-checker were applied to every story you recounted from your college years, none of us would emerge unscathed.
As Christians though, we know we are all
flawed, fallen, broken people in need of mercy – and so are the politicians. We need healing and growth – badly. Spouting a harsh critique of a candidate may
make you feel good, chiming in with others who loathe the same candidate you do
may feel chummy – but criticizing somebody else doesn’t make you good, does
it? As you become closer to Jesus, you
are less likely to cheer or even notice fault in others, much less carry on
about it. Your own goodness, your
character, your holiness: you have
enough to work on without letting too much of your moral zeal get wasted on
ruminating on what’s wrong with others.
If we care about our nation’s character and
morals, we realize these are not finally the responsibility of the President,
Congress or Supreme Court. Real change
can’t be legislated. Transformation
happens in the heart, in many hearts, in communities that choose to be
different, and better. For centuries,
the Church has assumed that we have a weighty responsibility for the character
of the world. How is God asking us to
resume that large task?
