Use and Abuse of Power

USE AND ABUSE OF POWER

(Preached at North Mymms 1993)

It gives me very great pleasure to welcome you all here today for the Annual Civic Service of the Welwyn and Hatfield Council. In particular, it gives me pleasure because your Chairman of this current year, Councillor Frank Matthews, is a regular worshipper at this church, together with his wife Marjorie.

Some of you are District Councillors responsible for representing the interests of the electorate and determining policy at the district level; and some of you are officers of the Council, responsible for advising councillors on policy making and implementing their decisions.

The one thing that binds you all together is your common desire to serve the local community which has elected you or in which you work.

But life is not as easy as that because you are subject to pressure from the dictates of central government and the fulfilment of the expectations of the electorate. At times you must often feel frustrated, impotent and powerless as you seek to serve the people of the district. The parameters in which you are called upon to serve and operate are not always of your making and this, unfortunately, is not always fully appreciated by those of the wider community. As a result your common work is often subject to unjustified criticism.

In fact any one in public life has to be prepared to endure some degree of unwanted criticism and never more so than today, when accountability is so high on the public agenda.

This arises from the perceived opportunity to use and abuse power and the consequent influence which can be exercised by those involved in public service, whether in a paid or voluntary capacity.

ABUSE OF POWER

The temptation to use power to one's own advantage is nothing new. The prophet Amos in the 8th century BC found himself having to tackle the problem head on.

Little is known about Amos, except that he was a shepherd in the howling wilderness of Tekoa and that he attended sycamore trees. He was a religious person with a burning sense of moral righteousness and social justice. He was stern, austere and uncompromising. He must have been rather like a hard Calvinist from the remoter parts of Scotland confronted by the worldliness and luxury of London, New York or Paris.

As far as Amos was concerned, those in positions of power were using their influence to their own advantage. Wealthy merchants, lusting for economic power, were ruthlessly trampling on the heads of the poor and defenceless. Public leaders, revelling in luxury and corrupted by indulgence, were lying in beds of ease unconcerned about those less fortunate. The sophisticated ladies, whom Amos - in the rough language of a herdsman - compares to the fat, sleek cows of Bashan, were selfishly urging their husbands on. Law courts were used to service vested interests of the commercial class. Even religion had no word of protest against the inhumanities that were being perpetrated in the very shadows of the temples at Bethel, Gilgal, Dan and Samaria.

Those with power and influence within the community, "hate a man who brings the wrongdoer to court and abominates him who speaks nothing less than the truth". They "levy taxes on the poor and extort tribute grain from them". They "bully the innocent, extort ransoms and in court push the destitute out of the way".

That is a pretty frightening picture of a society where power is being abused and it does us no harm to be reminded that there are still places today where such activities take place.

JESUS

By contrast we have the secret of true power and its influence as revealed in the request of James and John, the sons of Zebedee, who, because of their perceived special relationship to Jesus, looked for special favours in the Kingdom of God.

But Jesus in his reply points out that although "the Gentiles, the recognised rulers, lord it over their subjects and the great make their authority felt" that is not the way the Christian should operate. As far as the Christian is concerned "who ever wants to be great must be your servant, and who ever wants to be first must be the slave of all".

To see what this means in human terms, we need look no further than at the life and teaching of Jesus. As Phillip Brooks once observed: "All the armies that ever marched, and all the navies that were ever built and all the parliaments that ever sat, and all the kings that ever reigned, put together have not affected the life of man upon this earth as powerfully as that one solitary life".

But, my friends, you do not need me to remind you that that "one solitary life" devoted to the service of others also involved considerable personal suffering, even to the point of being so misunderstood, and criticised that he finished up dying an unnecessary death at the hands of those who opposed him. No wonder Jesus asks James and John "Can you drink the cup that I drink, or be baptised with the baptism that I am baptised with?"

APPLICATION

Well there we have it, two alternative pictures of the use of power and its influence. Either it can be used to one's own selfish advantage, as in the case of the leaders of the nations which Amos addressed, or else it can be used in the service of others, as in the case of Jesus of Nazareth.

Either we can use it to enhance our own self esteem or the self esteem of others.

Those involved in public life are always faced with these two alternatives. Seldom is it so black and white. More often the choice involves varying degrees of greyness.

The former destroys any form of criticism in order to protect itself and the latter allows itself to be open to criticism and thereby exposes its vulnerability.

In seeking to serve the community as District Councillors or as Executives of the council, you have chosen to put the needs and welfare of the community above your own personal self interest. Seldom will you receive praise. More often than not you will receive criticism.

But that, alas, is the cost of public service. That was also the cost for Jesus of Nazareth but look at what he ultimately has achieved!

In conclusion, may I use this public occasion to thank you all, on behalf of the people of Welwyn and Hatfield for all you do, year in and year out, to enrich the life of the community in which you serve and work, amidst the many pressures and demands made upon you. And in that thanks, to include your husbands, wives and families who support and encourage you, both in good times and in bad.