I have written very little about the present political campaign because of depression. I really do not like how things are going and I do not see any short term hope (wish I did). I was reminded this week, however, as I taught The Divine Comedy to our 11th and 12th graders what redeemed politics should look like. In the Heaven of Mercury (Dante divides everything up into different layers thus there is a Heaven for all sort of groups of people which makes up one whole and entire Heaven), Dante talks with political leaders that were distracted from justice and from their own calling as believers because they sought personal glory. There he chats with the great lawgiver Justinian the Great. He paints us a portrait of what redeemed politics should look like:
- Politicians should be humble and self-effacing. Justinian admits his own shortcomings freely. It does not take a special prosecutor or a subpoena to get him to tell the truth.
- Politicians should quickly praise the deeds and insights of others—even members of other political parties.
- Politicians should recognize that they are but placeholders (or stewards if you will). There is a King that rules and He will set aside all rule and authority in the end. Jesus is Lord and in the end Jesus will be seen as the only Lord. All the other crowns will be cast at His pierced feet and they will not be retrieved.
