Holy Bible
Election season is just around the corner and we are already seeing possible changes afoot as people begin to put their names in the ballot for both councillor and mayoral positions. We read last week that Mike Pettit will be running for mayor, while a few weeks ago Shane Walsh said that he would be putting his name in to be a Waipa councillor.
Local body elections
The election season is always an exciting season as we get to see who is putting their name on the ballot and what their hopes and dreams are for the district. It is also exciting because it could suggest change is on the way. But what should we expect from change? The world we live in is ever-changing, with new technology, wars and governments every week. This has often been described as chaos; the continual change, the lack of stability that, some suggest, “once was” creates a place that feels chaotic. This is not to say that change itself is what creates chaos, rather that continual, unplanned for change is chaotic. When we begin thinking about change for our district, then, what is good change? What is change that brings stability, that enables the community to grow?
For the majority of the Bible, the story follows the people of Israel as they journey with God. This is a journey which can be described as chaotic change; the people of Israel continually choose their own hopes and dreams over what God desires for them, and they end up in chaos. In the New Testament, Jesus is also depicted as an agent of change, but one of planned change since before the creation of the world. Jesus comes as the change who enables all people to flourish as God has planned for us. As followers of Jesus we recognise the work of the Spirit of Jesus who guides us through life, one who brings stability in a world of chaos.
This does not mean that the world stops its chaotic change, rather it means that we can journey through that change without being drawn into the chaos it creates. The stability Jesus offers us is found by being in the community of God – the church. The church is called to be the hands and feet of Jesus in the world, offering selfless care and compassion to all people.
So how does the call of the church to be selflessly caring and compassionate relate to who gets elected to local council? As we compare and contrast those who are putting themselves forward for council, we need to look for those who are not only fit for the job but also have a care and compassion for all people in our district. They may not be the church, but they are placed in their role to serve the community.
What we hope for is that the people we vote for will work genuinely with a sense of care and compassion for those they seek to serve.
Photo: Mikhail Nilov, pexels.com
