Fr. Richard Ho Lung - Diary Of A Ghetto Priest IN OUR modern world, leadership has been sorely missing. Our modern civilisation is plagued by confusion, selfishness, hatred, wars, immorality, and unhappiness.
At the foundation there is no certitude. Every truth is relative. There are no absolutes; there are only subjective needs. Every person seems to have a different agenda. Emerging out of the dehumanised heap of people are some well-known names who are considered the worst, the most infamous, the ultra rich, the most manipulative and domineering. It is a time when the evil thrives and grows like grass. In a time of imperial liberalism arising out of a pure subjectivism, our people perish. There is little recourse to idealism, self-sacrifice, honour, and service anymore.
The modern leader is the liberal who satisfies every cause of every major or minor grouping. He says yes to every claim or request. He wins over the masses by being a "good guy" to every woe or complaint. The modern leader dispenses with every moral principle that requires sacrifice. He allows for every appetite to be satisfied.
Leadership, however, must be built on the two major principles of truth and love. We cannot live without absolute principles, and absolute principles cannot come from man who is transient but only from God who is eternal, absolute and unchanging. When we live by truth and love the details and definition can only derive from Christ Himself who is the Truth or Eternal Word. No other God or gods - Greek, Chinese, African or Indian - possess the clarity, compassion, or power, as does Christ.
THE LAW
In our own Western culture, we know that Christianity and the Mosaic Law contributed to Roman law and that in turn Roman law contributed to English and the entire Western code of law. It has been upheld as possessing the veracity and sense of justice common to all men. However, that source, which is the Judaic God, is now being threatened in the United States and other parts of the advanced world in an attack against dogmatic religion. Therefore, courts of law that attest to the traditional Christian God and His laws are being debunked in a strange and evil way. The Ten Commandments as a statement of fundamental belief are being removed from public places.
Yet leadership requires truth, correction, clarity of heart and mind, a strong sense of justice, and the ability to make a right decision for all to follow. Such confidence, as I have said, derives from the eternal God.
The word of God is the truth; His actions are love. Throughout the millennia from the time of Abraham, Isaac and Moses till now, leaders have borne tremendous fruit in bringing about nations who are a people of God. When leaders hear the word of God and speak the truth in attempting to build a people of justice and righteousness, they have brought about great prosperity and happiness for their countries.
RELATIONSHIP
The primary virtue and activity between God and His leaders is the simple, open and faithful relationship between God and His chosen leader who acts only according to God's will, not simply to please people or to retain power. When the people are won over, moreover, they hear in the word of their leaders the truth of God, the goodness of God, justice and righteousness. Thus they obey their leaders and respond generously, even when it requires great sacrifice, in order to build up a people that are peaceful, happy and prosperous.
Whenever the nation becomes confused and corrupt, it was due to a loss of spiritual vision on the part of the leader. Then the people were like sheep without a shepherd, a lost and broken nation, pagan, and without direction.
Take a look at our nation and the world and see what we have allowed in during this period of liberal morality and economics: hedonism, homosexuality, drugs, gambling, flexi-week, abortion, euthanasia, liberal capitalism. Look at what has happened to us locally: our education in chaos, family life is practically non-existent; violence and unemployment, mass immigration and non-production have led to a broken spirit.
Leadership, on the other hand, is able to inspire even the broken-hearted. It is able to raise up a people inflicted by grief. It calls us to take up the cross by providing a vision of hope.
If only our leaders would see how Christian the majority of our country is and build upon that base and make of us the great little nation I believe God intends us to be. (More on leadership later.)
Father Richad Ho Lung is Founder and leader of the Missionaries of the Poor.
