It seems that every several weeks we are treated to another politician being strung up for a youthful indiscretion. The opposing party finds the proceedings quite entertaining as they watch them, “eat their own,” but unbeknownst to them a political roast of their own making is in the oven waiting to be served up. I find this quite interesting because the very political system that most people distrust and find quite corrupt seems to have found a conscience. The very system intent on taking God out of political life seems to think it’s important to, “Be Holy like He is Holy. ” The secular government that doesn’t believe in heaven or hell seems quite content to throw their fellow politicians into purgatory to eternally suffer for the politically incorrect sins of their past. It’s quite ironic that special interest groups don’t hesitate to toss out a card-carrying member for being a foolish young person, yet the papacy doesn’t excommunicate a catholic politician for promoting the “culture of death.”
Hypocrisy drips from the TV screen as we watch politicians call for the resignation of another politician because they did something stupid in their lives. It’s as if politicians are all of the sudden surprised that people are sinners. While people’s past behaviors may reveal a consistent pattern of misbehavior they must be tested against their current thoughts and actions. If it’s not possible for people to change then we are all doomed. If I am defined by my past behavior, then there is no hope. I suspect very few of us would be content to say that we are the same person we were when we were younger.
Jesus stands in contrast to all of this. He tells us that it doesn’t matter what we did in our past as long as we repent and ask for forgiveness. The problem is that politicians tenaciously try to maintain the illusion that their lives are pristine chapels when in reality they are dens of robbers. The general public then looks on in disbelief because they already know that, “but for the grace of God, go I.” Jesus is about 2nd, 3rd, and 4th chances but politics seems to be about one and done. While we may not agree with the political views of these people we must not condemn them to cultural death.
Jesus reminds us that it’s risky business for humans with morally shaky hands to throw rocks without breaking their own glass houses. In fact, He asks us to go one step further and drop our stones of indignation and walk away. It’s reassuring to know that when we meet St. Peter he will be reading from the Book of Life and not our high school yearbook. Heaven doesn’t contain immaculately conceived people but original sinners who recognize the need for a savior.
We all fall short of the glory of God and there is not one who is good – no not one. The bad news for those who choose to live without God is that the very mistakes that makes them human disqualifies them from politics. The Good news for Christians is that those very sins qualify us to follow Jesus. Youthful indiscretions may keep you out of public office but when repented of qualify you for admission into the Kingdom. The tribunal of political hypocrisy that condemns you is replaced by the gracious reign of a King who asks, “Where are they? Has no one condemned you? Neither do I condemn you; go, and from now on sin no more.”
Politics seems intent on exhuming our old life and putting it on public display, but Jesus offers us new life. We cannot deny the location of the tomb of our past life, but we can at least show people that it’s empty. Life would be so much better if we would just get off our high horse and bend our knee to the One who comes lowly riding on a donkey.
I don’t think we want to live in a world where old mistakes disqualify us from public office, because it may just be that the lessons we learned from our past will make us better leaders. People don’t expect immaculate politicians, but they do hope for contrite public servants.
Photo by Brian Wertheim on Unsplash
