Loyalty VIII

. . . they sent Peter and John . . . 

 - From Acts 8

Decision-making and leadership is hard. There was a reason why so many cultures have gone with "elders' as leaders. When you have an Elder System, you don't have to worry about elections. You don't have to deliberate with yourself, whether or not to take charge.

When I was in my twenties, I was offered the position of Deacon in the my church. But I noted that, in Scripture, Deacons were required to have attained some maturity and experience in life. They were to be the husband of one wife. I noted that I didn't even have a wife and cannot be a deacon. And that ended the discussion.

We have too many people . . . young people . . . asserting themselves as leaders. We have Congresspeople from their own respective single districts, assuming they can have sway over the rest of the country. We have people being elected by emotionally-driven segments of the population, that have not the life experience, or gravitas, to weigh matters carefully and consider all viewpoints. And we're celebrating the brashness of this process and the people it produces.

It was not so in Native American culture. We owe a lot to them. Our system of Federalism was inspired by the Mohawks. Our sense of appreciation for all peoples comes from our early association with them.

We need their reflective methods today.

I know how my father saw the world, and his father before him. That’s how I see the world.

                  -   N. Scott Momaday, Kiowa/Cherokee

Any philosophy that dismisses the wisdom of forefathers and mothers, outright, is unwise at best, dangerous at worst.

We need to begin with respect for the elders. We will all be elders one day. Failure to stop and listen to them is a path to bitter regret at the end of life.

The early Church established a system of deacons and elders. This was derived from the Old Testament system of tribes and elders. It was orderly, and enabled the steady and effective introduction of reforms into the culture.

The early Church sent Peter and John, and others, because they wanted to be treated seriously, and they wanted a sense of godly authority to go forth.

We need some Peters and Johns, to send to Washington, today.