Authority X

Who is he, this King of glory?

 - From Psalm 24


He. Singular.

The King.

The King of Glory.

As you go up the lines of authority, the names and the numbers get fewer and fewer.

As you go up your family tree, the people within each generation are fewer and fewer.

Hierarchies. Chains of command. Lines of authority.

Eventually, you end up with one single person. "The buck stops here." There comes a point where the person to whom you have appealed; the person you follow, is the last in line and answers to no one.

And yet, we have this love affair with the Democratic principle, that the majority rules; that you want to be part of some mass movement, if you want to have value.

Some people go in to vote, and they make their moral and impactful decisions based on what is fair, and what expresses the most care for others - - - especially those that are most needy. And in so doing, they convince themselves that they are virtuous, perhaps more virtuous than others.

But we need strong teams to be effective. We need others. And others see things differently than you. We need to be loyal . . . and to put the people we trust ahead of a faceless, nameless mob that will never care about us when we can provide them no benefit.

You also need wisdom. You need to ask your elders. Perhaps they have tried it your way once, and discovered something better. Wisdom, and sage advice from seniors, and yes, those higher up in some hierarchy, can save you time. They know.

They know.

I hope to develop a fair culture; a society that cares for all. But I will not betray my family, friends and community. And I will lean on the wisdom and advice of my elders and people in authority.

And I hope you do, too. But there's more . . .

Next: Purity