The timing of these extracts on the Church’s teaching on the political community could not be better, since our country is heading towards constitutionally due elections. Over the next few weeks, we will focus on the biblical aspects of this area of the political community.

It is important to look at political leadership in the context of biblical history, as it provides the context by which we can analyse and assess our own political community in Trinidad and Tobago and the entire world.

Today’s article will highlight the dominion of God in political authority – leaders are expected to ensure that God’s plan for salvation is carried out.  They are also expected to have certain qualities that will ensure they fulfill the role that God has given them. 

“At the beginning of its history, the people of Israel are unlike other peoples in that they have no king, for they recognise the dominion of Yahweh alone.

It is God who intervenes on Israel's behalf through charismatic individuals, as recorded in the Book of Judges. The people approach the last of these individuals, Samuel, prophet and judge, to ask for a king (cf1 Sam8:5; 10:18-19). Samuel warns the Israelites about the consequences of a despotic exercise of kingship (cf1 Sam 8:11-18).

However, the authority of the king can also be experienced as a gift of Yahweh who comes to the assistance of his people (cf1 Sam9:16). In the end, Saul is anointed king (cf1 Sam10:1-2). These events show the tension that brought Israel to understand kingship in a different way than it was understood by neighbouring peoples.

 The king, chosen by Yahweh (cfDt 17:15;1 Sam 9:16) and consecrated by him (cf 1 Sam 16:12-13), is seen as God's son (cf Ps2:7) and is to make God's dominion and plan of salvation visible (cf Ps72). The king, then, is to be the defender of the weak and the guarantor of justice for the people. The denunciations of the prophets focus precisely on the kings' failure to fulfil these functions (cf 1 Kgs 21; Is 10:1-4; Am2:6-8, 8:4-8;Mic 3:1-4).”

Based on this excerpt from the Compendium, the authority of the king can be experienced as a gift from God. The responsibility of this king, the leader is to assist his/her people and make God’s plan of salvation visible, by being the defender of the weak and guaranteeing justice for the people. This in a nutshell is the role of a leader in a country.

“The prototype of the king chosen by Yahweh is David, whose humble origins are a favourite topic of the biblical account (cf 1 Sam 16:1-13). David is the recipient of the promise (cf 2 Sam 7:13-16; Ps 89:2-38, 132:11-18), which places him at the beginning of a special kingly tradition, the “messianic” tradition.

Notwithstanding all the sins and infidelities of David and his successors, this tradition culminates in Jesus Christ, who is par excellence ‘Yahweh's anointed’ (that is, ‘the Lord's consecrated one’, cf 1 Sam 2:35, 24:7,11, 26:9,16; Ex 30:22-32), the son of David (cf Mt 1:1-17; Lk 3:23-38; Rom 1:3).”

What we must note here is that the King came from humble origins but was able to offer “promise” which could be interpreted to mean hope of a better/improved future.

“The failure of kingship on the historical level does not lead to the disappearance of the ideal of a king who, in fidelity to Yahweh, will govern with wisdom and act in justice. This hope reappears time and again in the Psalms (cf Ps2, 18, 20, 21, 72).

In the messianic oracles, the figure of a king endowed with the Lord's Spirit, full of wisdom and capable of rendering justice to the poor, is awaited in eschatological times (cf Is 11:2-5;Jer 23:5-6).

As true shepherd of the people of Israel (cfEzk 34:23-24, 37:24), he will bring peace to the nations (cfZech9:9-10). In Wisdom Literature, the king is presented as the one who renders just judgments and abhors iniquity (cf Prov 16:12), who judges the poor with equity (cfProv 29:14) and is a friend to those with a pure heart (cfProv 22:11).

There is a gradual unfolding of the proclamation of what the Gospels and other New Testament writings see fulfilled in Jesus of Nazareth, the definitive incarnation of what the Old Testament foretold about the figure of the king.”

From this excerpt we note that the key qualities of a leader are that he/she is wise, able to render justice and fight injustice and evil, is fair and builds a peaceful nation. 

Based on the above we must ask ourselves several questions.

1. Do our leaders have the qualities that enable them to be, humble, wise, just, offer hope, foster peace, fight for justice and fulfil God’s plan of salvation?
2. Are these things we demand from them or expect them to have?
3. Do leaders believe that these qualities are necessary?

Maybe if we start asking ourselves these questions, and forcing leaders to reflect on their overall role – perhaps our political community will take a form that really seeks to promote the human person as God intended. 

Next week we look at Jesus’ view of political authority (Chapter 8b of the Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church). 

Persons interested in purchasing the Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church, may contact the Justice Desk, Archbishop’s House at 622-6680.