Yumri Taipodia
Bangalore
Though politics is not everything but there is almost no sphere of life that is directly or indirectly affected by politics. We cannot escape from political life in society. Also, believers must know confession ‘Jesus is Lord’ has immediate political implications for the Church in the world. Christian involvement in politics comes with its own set of certain responsibility. They must be transparent in financial dealing and they should not lord over other but be an example to them.
Leader must have Servant Nature
In response to the crisis of leadership in 21st century, Robert K. Greenleaf, in his book Servant Leadership he says, “Leadership was bestowed upon a person who was by nature a servant. This implies that Christian leadership is given to those having servant nature. In Mk 10: 42-45 Jesus himself said that His followers must have a servant nature. Jesus wanted to impart the spirit of servanthood, the sense of personal commitment and identity. He did it through love so that His followers would also be completely possessed by His love. The world should be saved through Him and His teaching. There is no finer teaching on Christian leadership than what Jesus taught. God must be known and not simply by name. God must be known as God! Christian politicians must take this up as a great privilege. To make God known is the Christian’s as well as the politicians’ special task. In this regard, one should know the great commission does not spell out all the duties of the Church in the world or the total mission of the Church. It concerns itself primarily with the outreach of the Church into the world of the non believers, whoever they may be.
Christian politicians must take up the responsibility to spread the Gospel. Moreover, they should remember the life of Joseph, the son of Israel who became a slave before he rose to political power in Egypt. He served his master Potiphar faithfully and even inside the prison and also in Prime Ministerial post, he continued to serve there. Likewise, a person should continue to have a servant nature though his social status might change. Therefore, more servants should emerge as leaders. This shows that before a person took the role of leadership, he must be a servant first. Further, Jesus strongly recommended that if someone wants to be great in heaven, he must be a servant of all.
A Leader must be Transparent in Finance
Every rise and fall recorded in the Church history mostly depended on leaderships. Good leadership is essential to any joint human endeavor, but even more so in the kingdom of God. It means the real leaders are in short supply. Constantly, people and groups search for them. Throughout the Bible, God searched for leaders too. The Bible in its totality ascribes only one intention to God: to save mankind. Those who would be leaders here have the responsibility to know what it is that they believe to be able to defend the faith and to know those whom they lead.
Integrity is so closely related to humanity. Integrity which includes humility is the foundational virtue of leadership. Henry Nouwen points that humility is ultimately, “staying close to the ground, to people, to everyday life, to what is happening with all its down-to-earthness.” Without it, a leader is no more than a manager at best and a manipulator and controller at worst. Because of godless character in societies, the poor often find themselves the victim of social injustice and psychological oppression by a society that equates their poverty with God’s disfavor. So integrity is central to all leadership whether religious or secular. For this reason they are a leader who has consistent and dependable integrity. Apart from that as when a person used Satan’s method to achieve their goals in life; they are really bowing down to Satan. It may be truer during elections.
To prove their integrity in finance and concern for the poor, Christian politicians cannot get overwhelmed and hid under bed or escape to the mountains. Such activities will not have a lasting impact on the needy of the world. As law makers Christian politicians must pursue in State Assembly and Parliament House to amend as laws which give a lasting solution to the economic injustice. It can also be revoking a law which is not harmony with the will of God. In this regard the people great need is personal holiness from their leaders. This is a bigger challenge than money and wealth.
As their responsibilities grow bigger their dealings became more complex because lots of funding and power flows through their office. The prophet Samuel in the Bible also had all the privileges of political power of the nation and was the king maker of Israel but never misused it for personal gain. Christian politicians can also maintain integrity in election time and even in official financial transactions. People will then come to the saving knowledge of Christ when the gospel is proclaimed to them.
Leaders must not lord over others
An authentic reorganization of the Lordship of Christ means seeing Him as Lord of All. He is not merely ‘my Lord’ or even just the Lord of the Church. Rather, He is the Lord of the whole of creation which includes all social and political realms, rulers and structures in all nations. This means God is for both Christians and non-Christians. He is the master and ruler of everyone. So, Christian politicians must recognize the truth that they have only one Lord. In this context Mark 10: 42-45 is one of the best-known passages on leadership in the Bible. According to this passage a Christian leader is very different from the secular one. The kingdom leadership is in contrast to worldly patterns, in so far they involve ‘lording it over’ other. The basic qualification for spiritual leaders is that they be living demonstrations of the reality of all that they teach. They should not be mere preachers of the words but must be dourer also. So, Christian politicians must remember that the Bible contrasts and objects any powers that dominates and subjugates and suppress human lives. So they should not lord over the people at any cost but serve them like a servant so that people may come to the saving knowledge of Lord Jesus Christ in the place where they serve.
CONCLUSION
More than anything else, the Christian politicians should never forget that sitting in political office for a long or short period should not be their only desire. It is not even the most important thing or a holy cause for a faithful believer where they can give their first priority to achieve their dream at any cost. In their busy schedule or engagement in public dealings, Christian politicians should not forget to be the part of Church and her mission’s work. They can worship the Lord in every activity and maintain Christian identity in private and public place.
They must take responsibility to share the Gospel to fellow politicians as God has given them privilege to. They can also serve God in elite groups, especially to government employees and business men. Also they can openly witness Christ to those who have never heard about Him especially in their respective constituencies from the place where they got elected. They should admit that political office is the best platform to show Christ’s love and do charity in a bigger way. Political seat is important because it is a place where Christian politicians can legislate a law which is harmony to the Scripture. In addition to that it is a place where they can easily nurture the Biblical truth and justice and make better societies where both Christians and non-Christians may enjoy heaven like experience in their brief sojourn on this beautiful world. Whereas sharing the Good News from political office will lead not only to abundance on this earth but also give eternal life in heaven. As believers rejoice in the importance but limited results that flow from obligation of a Christian in the Political Office. Christian politicians must participate in the unlimited, eternal blessings that flow from sharing the Gospel from political office.
Yumri Taipodia
Bangalore
C/O. Oyir Taipodia
SAIACS, Bangalore-77
