who is resonsible?

Welcome to worship today. A special welcome to dads this Fathers Day.

Last week we learned from an obtuse passage in Luke 13:10-17 to take a good long hard look at ourselves and respect the fact that Jesus offers a lot more grace, especially to our political and spiritual leaders, than we do.  Remember, "We are not angels and they're not devils", as one commentator said.

It is a rude shock to think that I am directly responsible for the political leaders we have got. And for the system that produces such shallow, opportunistic, gormless grabs and sound bites and jumps on everything our leaders have ever done, even decades before. Is it any wonder politics is bland and our leaders covert, cautious and opaque? Irrespective of their competence, when did it become ok to just attack elected representatives? To treat leaders like piñatas to thrash to pieces at our discretion? Ironically the fertility/luck tradition of smashing a hollow papeir-mache piñata out of which treats would come sounds a lot like Aussie politics at election time.

I discovered this week that Luke 13:10,11 has an even deeper well of significance. The evil Roman governor, Pilate, served the emperor Caesar Augustus. Augustus was referred to as "The Divine Son of God". When the Galileans refer to what Pilate the Butcher has done in Caesars' name, Jesus totally ignores it. Why? Because the one who is addressing them is no idol like Augustus, he is the true divine Son of God. He is not bound by this earthly domain. Neither are you. So listen to him. Really listen.Our job is to grow in knowledge of and about the Divine Son, the true king. Could God be calling you to civic leadership? Growing in knowledge of the true king gives us confidence as leaders of families, work places and communities. The true king has a much bigger picture in view. The true king says, take a good look at yourself, be gracious and merciful to your leaders (or become one yourself) AND, this week, make sure you have signed up to his invitation and agenda.

There is one civic leader in our community who just keeps putting himself out there. He shared with me this week as he, yet again, put himself in the front line. A line where he repeatedly risks looking foolish, having the project fail and wrestles internally with that inner voice of derision and mockery that being a public risk taker involves. After another successful outcome against the odds, he sat there and, thankful but relieved he heard a voice speaking to him that said, "Did you think that I would not provide for you?"  As tears of thankfulness and love flowed from him it is a reminder of how rich a life of trusting and involvement is and how lean is a life of safe distance and cool criticism.

BlessingsMalcolm