Pray for our politicians

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“The memory of that great and glorious minister, who, to all succeeding ages, will be quoted as an illustrious example, how one great man, by his superior ability, could raise his drooping country from the abyss of despair to the highest pinnacle of glory, and render her honoured, respected, revered, and dreaded by the whole universe.”

Sir: No, this statement didn’t refer to any of Canada’s political leaders, past or present. It was written by Admiral George Rodney in 1779 about William Pitt who later became the Earl of Chatham, England. If he had been referring to a Canadian political leader, we wouldn’t have seen the editorial  “Change or perish” in the Dec. 19 Chatham Voice.

It discusses “the news that Ontario Power Generation management is rife with incompetence and a sense of entitlement.”

It quotes “the 15,000 women turned away from emergency shelters, the four-year wait time before treatment for a child with autism, and the 15,000 health cards and driver’s licenses issued to dead people.”

The editorial also lists “the cancelled energy plant fiasco, mismanagement of health care, the glaring deficiencies of an arbitration system that may bankrupt municipalities, and … a near-total meltdown of government.”

The editorial rightly blames “our failure to hold politicians, bureaucrats and governments accountable.”

I believe all our leaders, good or bad, need our prayers. I admit my guilt as a former newspaper editor. If a story was juicy, it went to the front of the paper.

Providing prayer is more important than slamming politicians – federal, provincial or municipal – in the media. They don’t have an easy job – not if they’re sincere, anyway. Maybe we should follow the advice of Jesus. He favoured Nicodemus and Matthew, and it was the former who helped carry His body to the tomb and the latter went on to write one of the gospels of the Bible.

I’m so grateful to live in an area where people once helped runaway slaves. Many are still doing God’s work as He tarries.

Stephen J. Beecroft

Chatham

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