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Political objectivity
Rev Raulston Nembhard
Saturday, April 14, 2007
In the context of the tribalised political context that we have in Jamaica, the difficulty that faces a pastor is how to maintain political objectivity while being true to his or her divine calling. If you want to remain true to your calling, it is difficult to juggle the severe responsibilities of a pastor while being fully involved in partisan political activism. Those who do so have discovered that far from being the ambassadors of reconciliation that their vocation requires, they have become agents of division and high sources of embarrassment to their flock. It is for this reason that this writer, as a priest, has refused to be a card-carrying member of any political party despite encouragements to do so.
A congregation inevitably is made up of people of all political stripes. Partisan loyalties strain the bonds of affection that should unite them. Fairness and objectivity are often the first casualties of partisan politics. Pastors who are prepared to mortgage or outsource their integrity and intelligence to a political party must answer for themselves as to where their true loyalties lie.
This is not to say that a pastor should not be concerned with political matters. Indeed, if he knows anything about the prophetic tradition in the Old Testament, he will understand that he shares in a great heritage of defiance against all principalities and powers that would visit injustice upon God's people. He has no choice but to realise that God takes an option for the poor, marginalised, powerless and voiceless in society. These are largely political matters about which he should be concerned. A great deal can be achieved by civil protest to achieve the objectives that God would require, but jumping on political bandwagons as prophets and seers or as political activists does not seem to me to be what the Lord requires.
It is a travesty to pin God to a political process whenever it becomes expedient to do so. It is okay for any religious leader to have religious faith. Values that are shaped by faith can be of immense help in the execution of one's professional office. This is true of politics as it is of any other profession. But it is disingenuous to use the name of God to secure political advantage. Those who would want to perpetuate this travesty must be warned that God may not be too patient with those who would want to besmirch His name in this way.
There are two other concerns that merit commentary at this time. The first is the prime minister's achievements in the first year. I believe that it is a bit disingenuous for the prime minister to have claimed the spectacular success that she has after having been in office for one year, when it seems quite obvious that she merely rode on the back of her predecessor. Furthermore, the country has not seen any attempt to correct the excesses of government that are of great concern to the people. This is especially so in the area of corruption and overruns and especially in the credibility gap created by the Trafigura issue. Instead, and at her own admission, she has elected to continue the work of Mr Patterson, even against rational empirical evidence that she ought to move in decisively new directions. Hopefully, with divine guidance and prophetic sustenance from her soothsayers she may yet see the light.
The second matter regards Mr Mike Henry's call for increased salary for parliamentarians.To begin with, it is injudicious to be making such a call at this time. The people certainly are in no mood to grant parliamentarians an increase when it is obvious that many of them are not doing the work they have been elected to do. Too many of our parliamentarians do not know where the interests of their political parties end and where those of the people of Jamaica begin when they are placed in that august body.
They seem not to realise that as legislators they are sworn to protect and defend the people and constitution of Jamaica.
This means, among other things, ensuring that Parliament functions in a way that serves the best interest of all the people of Jamaica. All 60 representatives in that noble house (a nobility that has been degraded over the years by the childish petulance of some) must go into deep soul-searching about how much they have lived up to their oath to protect and defend the people of Jamaica. The rampant criminality that is destroying so much of our national life is a clear indication that those whom we elect to protect us have failed miserably to do so. Mr Henry and those who think like him must be told in no uncertain terms that being a parliamentarian is not essentially about whom you bury, how many funerals you attend or even which road gets fixed.
There is a higher standard to which you are all called. Too many of you have forgotten what this standard is. And you dare to ask for a salary increase.Fahget it!
- stead6655@aol.com
Rev Raulston Nembhard
Saturday, April 14, 2007
In the context of the tribalised political context that we have in Jamaica, the difficulty that faces a pastor is how to maintain political objectivity while being true to his or her divine calling. If you want to remain true to your calling, it is difficult to juggle the severe responsibilities of a pastor while being fully involved in partisan political activism. Those who do so have discovered that far from being the ambassadors of reconciliation that their vocation requires, they have become agents of division and high sources of embarrassment to their flock. It is for this reason that this writer, as a priest, has refused to be a card-carrying member of any political party despite encouragements to do so.
A congregation inevitably is made up of people of all political stripes. Partisan loyalties strain the bonds of affection that should unite them. Fairness and objectivity are often the first casualties of partisan politics. Pastors who are prepared to mortgage or outsource their integrity and intelligence to a political party must answer for themselves as to where their true loyalties lie.
This is not to say that a pastor should not be concerned with political matters. Indeed, if he knows anything about the prophetic tradition in the Old Testament, he will understand that he shares in a great heritage of defiance against all principalities and powers that would visit injustice upon God's people. He has no choice but to realise that God takes an option for the poor, marginalised, powerless and voiceless in society. These are largely political matters about which he should be concerned. A great deal can be achieved by civil protest to achieve the objectives that God would require, but jumping on political bandwagons as prophets and seers or as political activists does not seem to me to be what the Lord requires.
It is a travesty to pin God to a political process whenever it becomes expedient to do so. It is okay for any religious leader to have religious faith. Values that are shaped by faith can be of immense help in the execution of one's professional office. This is true of politics as it is of any other profession. But it is disingenuous to use the name of God to secure political advantage. Those who would want to perpetuate this travesty must be warned that God may not be too patient with those who would want to besmirch His name in this way.
There are two other concerns that merit commentary at this time. The first is the prime minister's achievements in the first year. I believe that it is a bit disingenuous for the prime minister to have claimed the spectacular success that she has after having been in office for one year, when it seems quite obvious that she merely rode on the back of her predecessor. Furthermore, the country has not seen any attempt to correct the excesses of government that are of great concern to the people. This is especially so in the area of corruption and overruns and especially in the credibility gap created by the Trafigura issue. Instead, and at her own admission, she has elected to continue the work of Mr Patterson, even against rational empirical evidence that she ought to move in decisively new directions. Hopefully, with divine guidance and prophetic sustenance from her soothsayers she may yet see the light.
The second matter regards Mr Mike Henry's call for increased salary for parliamentarians.To begin with, it is injudicious to be making such a call at this time. The people certainly are in no mood to grant parliamentarians an increase when it is obvious that many of them are not doing the work they have been elected to do. Too many of our parliamentarians do not know where the interests of their political parties end and where those of the people of Jamaica begin when they are placed in that august body.
They seem not to realise that as legislators they are sworn to protect and defend the people and constitution of Jamaica.
This means, among other things, ensuring that Parliament functions in a way that serves the best interest of all the people of Jamaica. All 60 representatives in that noble house (a nobility that has been degraded over the years by the childish petulance of some) must go into deep soul-searching about how much they have lived up to their oath to protect and defend the people of Jamaica. The rampant criminality that is destroying so much of our national life is a clear indication that those whom we elect to protect us have failed miserably to do so. Mr Henry and those who think like him must be told in no uncertain terms that being a parliamentarian is not essentially about whom you bury, how many funerals you attend or even which road gets fixed.
There is a higher standard to which you are all called. Too many of you have forgotten what this standard is. And you dare to ask for a salary increase.Fahget it!
- stead6655@aol.com
Shirley Williams
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