At the forthcoming election we are called, as Christians, to make a responsible and conscientious choice inspired by evangelical truths, principles of solidarity and social justice and the promotion of the common good. This is the guiding light for authentic Christians – a choice for the common good rather than a choice by default, simply because I’m red, blue or green.
Any pursuit of happiness contrary to the common good is doomed to failure. It seems that ‘what’s in it for me?’ drives so much election coverage these days that the electorate has become convinced that that is how political leaders are meant to be judged. Yet the common good – defined as the sum of conditions that enable individuals and social groups to reach their full potential – underpins good governance. It demands long-sighted and reasonable decisions, tempered by compassion.
American theologian James Freeman Clarke once said that “a politician thinks of the next election. A stateman, of the next generation”. The wellbeing of the next generation, the protection and development of everyone’s unique value, lies at the core of sound politics.
The Gospel calls Christians to live lives of honesty, integrity and concern for the common good
Pope Francis asserts that the Gospel calls individual Christians to live lives of honesty, integrity and concern for the common good, to create circles of integrity, networks of solidarity that can expand to embrace and transform society by their prophetic witness.
Pope Francis particularly addresses all leaders with a loud and clear tone. In his own words, “the more powerful you are, the more your actions will have an impact on people, the more responsible you are to act humbly. If you don’t, your power will ruin you, and you will ruin the other”. There is a saying in Argentina, he says, that “power is like drinking gin on an empty stomach. You feel dizzy, you get drunk, you lose your balance, and you end up hurting yourself and those around you, if you don’t connect your power with humility and tenderness”. Through humility and concrete love, on the other hand, power – the highest, the strongest one – becomes a service, a force for good.
Our conscientious choices to elect our leaders are often troubled by the issue of trust. Political commentator and author Cal Thomas asserts that “one of the reasons people hate politics is that truth is rarely a politician’s objective. Elections and power are”. Our choices must be tied to non-negotiable values and evangelical truths that give life, not death, that bear light, not darkness, values which promote solidarity and the common good. Pope John II said “people often lose sight of the fact that life has neither the market nor the State as its final purpose, life itself has a unique value which the State and the market must serve.”
Political leaders have a responsibility to lead with prudence and wisdom for the common good, a wisdom that cannot co-habit with a feverish struggle for power or pride. Similarly, our choices cannot be prejudiced simply because we’ve always been red, blue or green. As Manuel Borda wrote in a recent article (Talking Point, the Times of Malta, May 5) “slaves of ideological sentiments may find it hard to base their judgement on objective views”.
Neither can our choice be tarnished with the selfish notion of ‘what’s in it for me’.
gordon@atomserve.net