BBC Radio 4 2016-09-26

As we’ve been hearing this morning we’re in the midst of the political party conference season; we’ve already had the Liberal Democrats and the Greens; and Labour is in Liverpool this week with a re-elected party leader; and next week it will be the turn of the Conservative Party to greet the recently appointed Prime Minister. And in the United States too we will see the final stages in the race for the presidency.
We will hear much debate about power and how it is being exercised or should be exercised to remedy our problems.

As voters, we have a choice about who to elect. But once elected, individuals have a choice about how they go about exercising power. It is only within, that they can truly discern their motive about why they seek power. For the vast majority it is no doubt the case that they seek power to serve the common good of society, but history shows us that this is not always the case.

For the politicians who seek or serve in office, how can they remain anchored to serve the common good and avoid a drift over time, for after all they are only human and the exercise of power can alter behaviour?

In an era when we hear that people have lost confidence in politics, perhaps Christ and how he exercised power in his ministry could be a guide to those serving the common good. The Gospel accounts show how Christ exercised his power consistently in his ministry. He didn’t stray from the path laid out for him, even if he himself at times asked if he was able for what he knew was ahead, or when he had to deal with the betrayal of those closest to him.

Christ’s power did not always look like what we would have expected. At his crucifixion, the scene was set to show who had the real power – the Roman Empire - even mocking him with the title, King of the Jews. But it was just at the point where Jesus looked as if he had the least power from a temporal perspective that he actually had the greatest. Why? Because for Christians, through his death he was honouring a covenant that God had with the people from the time of their captivity in Babylon, and through his death and resurrection he brought about the forgiveness of sins.

For those good people in our midst seeking to get or retain political power, Christ offers an example of how the exercise of power needs to be selfless, consistent, authentic and rooted. It’s an example that won’t always be easily understood or appreciated in the world, but Jesus’ exercise of power is about faithfulness, forgiveness, and in the most difficult of circumstances, being prepared to give the ultimate service.