Our Bishops Guide Us – Reflection for the Election

by Tamar SC · July 26, 2016

Father Stan Muyebe O.P. of the SACBC has prepared a reflection for those who will be voting in the election next week.
Fr Muyebe looks to the biblical foundations of great leadership, what we should look for in a leader and how to pray for them. There is also a practical section to the reflection which asks critical questions of us in preparation for voting

The Leadership that we need …
Mobilising a national conversation on the type of leaders that we
need to end poverty, unemployment, inequalities, corruption etc.
Building biblical foundations at grassroots levels for demanding
ethical leadership at a national level.

About the leadership that we need…
It is a platform to stimulate national conversation about the kind of leadership that we need, both in the ruling party and in the opposition parties, and at all levels of government, to tackle the problems that we are facing as a nation, including poverty, slow economic growth, slow pace of service delivery, huge unemployment, rising cost of food, corruption, racial divisions etc..
What structures and attitudes need to change so that the politicians, both from the ruling party and from the opposition parties, give us the kind of leadership that we need to tackle all these problems?

Not all is gloom. What do we need to do to affirm and celebrate those politicians – both in the ruling party and in the opposition parties – who are already working hard to pursue ethical leadership? What platforms should we create so that we tell their stories as positive models of leadership?

How does the Bible, with its themes of God’s leadership of humanity and creation, both inspire and challenge our country and our continent to greater heights of ethical leadership?

What kind of leaders should we pray for? What kind of leaders should we demand through elections and other democratic processes?
These are the questions that the platform seeks to interrogate.

Our prayer today: Today, we pray as a nation so that our Lord gives us politicians,
both in the ruling party and in the opposition parties, who submit to God’s spirit,
especially the spirit of tolerance.

The opposite of the spirit of tolerance is the spirit of violence. We need more politicians in Africa and in our country whose leadership is rooted in the politics of tolerance, and not the politics of violence. Today, it is also an opportunity to thank the Lord and celebrate those politicians who risk their
lives and their political careers to exercise ethical leadership and challenge the politics of violence. How do we come to know such leaders?

LEADERSHIP QUALITIES that we often see in politicians whose vision of leadership is rooted in the (dis)value
of violence.
• They see political positions as an opportunity to enrich themselves. They therefore strive either to get
into a political position or to remain in some political position at any cost.
• They then resort to unethical strategies to achieve this goal. One of such strategies is the use of violence.
When they feel that their financial interests and political interests are threatened, they fuel violence in a
community and in a country so as to remain in power.
• They are very intolerant of those who pose a political threat. They see them as a nuisance that needs to
be eliminated, either physically or politically. They sometimes hire people to kill their political opponents.
• In their relationship with God, they find it hard to believe that God will protect them against an external threat
to their political aspirations. They do not therefore rely on God for their survival as politicians. Instead, they
strongly believe that, to survive as a politician, they have to place their trust in the power of violence

LEADERSHIP QUALITIES that we often find in politicians whose vision of leadership is rooted in the
value of tolerance, the value that the Kingdom of God represents.
• They see political positions as an opportunity to serve the common good. They do not therefore seek to get
into a political position at any cost. When their term comes to an end, they quietly leave their position.
• They do not therefore resort to the use of threats and violence so as to remain in power. When they feel that
their financial interests and political interests are threatened, they do not fuel violence in a community and in a
country so as to remain in power.
• They do not remain silent. They speak out against other politicians, from the same party and from different
party, who rely on the power of violence to remain in power.
• They believe that, in the exercise of their leadership, God is their shield and protector. They join the Psalmist
in giving glory to God as they declare that God is their shepherd and they shall not want. As leaders, they
therefore place their total trust in God’s grace and power, and not in the power of violence.

Inspirational readings: How does the Word of God challenge leaders to convert and receive God’s offer of mercy? Below are some of the passages in the Book of Proverbs which challenge leaders to root their vision of leadership on the value of tolerance, and not on the value of violence:
• Do not envy the violent or choose any of their ways. (Proverbs 3:31)
• There are six things which the Lord hates…haughty eyes, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent
blood. (Proverbs 6:16)
• Good people enjoy the positive results of their words, but those who are treacherous crave violence.
(Proverbs 13:2)
• Rob not the poor, because he is poor, neither oppress the afflicted (Proverbs 22:22)

“We ask for God’s blessing upon all of you, again using the words of Scripture. “… let the renewing of your minds
transform you, so that you may discern for yourselves what is the will of God – what is good and acceptable
and mature.” (Romans 12:1-2)” SACBC Pastoral letter on elections, 2016.

Let us pray: Lord we pray that the Holy Spirit enables us to choose upright leaders committed to the
common good. Give us the courage to work for your Kingdom through promoting justice and peace in our
society. May your Holy Spirit continually transform us so that become examples of your mercy and peace in
our families and to others. We pray for peaceful elections. We ask this in the name of your Son Jesus Christ.
Amen.

“Let us pray for peaceful elections that produce leaders who act justly, love mercy, and walk humbly
with their God (Micah 6:8)” – SACBC Pastoral letter on elections, 2016.

Additional Material: Questions for Group Discussion and Personal Reflection
We invite you to consider doing a group discussion using one or more of the questions below:

We have two groups.
Leaders in Group #1: They practise the politics of tolerance and restraint.
Leaders in Group #2: They practise the politics of violence.
You should consult above to get detailed description of the leadership qualities of each group.

Some people say that, when we look at the profile of the politicians in our country, the majority of them belong to Group#1, and not Group #2? What do you say? If you believe that many of our politicians belong to Group #2, where did we go wrong as a country? What activities do we need to do (as a parish, as Church, as a country) so that we have more politicians located in group #2? Who do we task to do those activities? When do we want such tasks to be done?

Leaders are formed, and not born. Is our society doing enough to form leaders with a vision that is rooted in the value of tolerance?
Some people say that our country will be able to get more of its leaders with a value of political tolerance if we work on transforming our family values. It all starts in the family. What do you say? What needs to change? What activities should your organisation (parish, family, sodality,
community etc) undertake to bring about such a change?

Some people say that our education system – starting from the primary level to the tertiary level – is the one to blame. It does not form leaders with values, especially the value of tolerance towards those who pose a threat to our power and influence. What do you say? What needs to change in our education system? What activities should your organisation (parish, family, sodality, community etc) undertake to bring about such a change?

Some people say that our democracy is pursued in a manner that does not allow our country to get leaders with values. They say that multiparty democracy is betraying the poor.
During elections, many people give their votes to politicians if they have the following qualities:
• if they are from the same party as themselves;
• if they belong to the same faction as themselves within a political party,
• if they are from the same tribe or race or geographical region as themselves,
• if they are in a position to offer them special privileges and opportunities.

The same dynamic also applies to situations where there is a need to demand accountability from elected leaders. People will defend a particular leader, even if they know that a leader is incompetent and has been involved in corruption, if the leader is from the same party, tribe, race or region as themselves. The negative economic situation of our country shall not change if we continue this way. Things will change if we begin a culture of voting people into political positions on the basis of their competence and their values, and not on the basis of the tribe, region and political party to which they belong.

What do you say? Is our really democracy betraying the poor? What needs to change so that people begin to vote on the basis of competence and values, and not on the basis of partisan affiliation?

Additional prayers:
Praying that our Lord gives more ethical leaders to Africa….
Lord, many years after gaining political independence,
A lot of African countries have not yet reached their promised land.
We therefore ask you to give the grace of leadership to our politicians
So that the values of your Kingdom get deeper roots in Africa.
Give our politicians the courage and the strength that they need to
To exercise restraint and political tolerance – even when there is pressure on them to use violence and civil war so as to remain in power.
To practise integrity and appoint competent people to key positions in the government and in state owned enterprises -even when there is pressure to practise patronage
To seek the common good – even when is pressure to practise corruption and self-enrichment
To listen to the cries of the poor and the cries of our environment – even when there is pressure from those multinational companies that buy politicians so as to get the licence to exploit the poor and the natural resources in Africa.
To insist on fairness in trade agreements – even when there are threats of reprisals from powerful nations in the world.
To stand up in courage against multinational financial institutions- even when such institutions exert pressure on our governments to introduce economic policies that bring huge burden on the poor.
To pursue dialogue and open engagement – even when there is pressure to exploit the racial/tribal hatred in the country and use it to remain in power
To preach forgiveness -even when everybody else is preaching the politics of fear and vengeance
To openly affirm the successes of our political rivals – even when there is pressure to spend all political energy on scoring points and exposing the faults and shortcoming of the political rivals, and not on building the nation;
To be genuinely contrite and admit wrong doing in public- even when there is pressure to tell lies and cover up wrong doing
To show honesty – even when there is pressure to make empty promises to the voters so as to win an election.
Help them to transform their political careers into a calling that brings special blessings and prosperity to themselves, their family and the nation. So that your Glory shines through their leadership. For you are the Lord, For ever and ever. Amen.