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It takes Two to Tango when it comes to cultivating the Relationship between Leaders (especially politicians) & their peoples / constituents / voters, and that would be themselves


bartmac123

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In society, we obviously need leaders so that their peoples/ subjects/ voters can be governed and guided.
 I'm Not trying to be too cynical when it come to leaders(especially political leaders) just so that I can sound like someone who  is too
clever by half, lofty or sanctimonious however t I wanted to emphasize the dangerously complex relationship between leaders and their subjects / voters.

(Important Side Note:  This might be good topic for a different post but It is also important to Note the difference between:

Leaders Directly appointed by God that generally occurred Prior and During the time of the Book of Judges

Leaders Indirectly(i.e with God's reluctant acceptance) and/or Directly empowered by the peoples / subjects that generally occurred
After and some During the time of the Book of Judges )

However, 1 & 2 Sam, 1 & 2 Kings, 1 & 2 Chron, Esther & Judges (even to a lesser extent Psalms & Proverbs) are some books in the
bible that should be must-read for Christians who may be interested in being part of leadership (especially political leadership) because
said books emphasize the difficulties & challenges that leaders face. Leaders are tempted to engage in and/or faced with such evils like
backstabbing, lying, grandstanding, deceiving, pretending, volatility of voters & supporters, egotism, pride  etc.

One particular aspect of leadership that is interesting is the relationship that leaders have with their peoples /  constituents / voters who
they lead.
Leaders & their subjects / voters have a Relationship that needs to be handled with care and attention because it can become dangerously
harmful if it's mishandled.

Again, I want to emphasize that I'm Not trying to be too cynical but we Christians should sort of approach leaders in a sympathetic &
empathetic manner because all humanity is broken and in need to help due to sinfulness

The following ( 1 Timothy 2:1-2) shows us a constructive approach with good intentions when it comes to praying for our leaders:


1 Timothy 2:1-2
New American Standard Bible 1995
First of all, then, I urge that entreaties and prayers, petitions and thanksgivings, be made on behalf of all men, 2 for kings and all who
are in [a]authority, so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity.

However, Here are some bible passages and scriptures that emphasize the dangerously complex relationship between leaders and their
subjects / voters:


Let's start off with bible verses that indicate the dangers that leaders themselves pose to their subjects / voters / people:

-In the 1st Samuel 8 chapter, Prophet Samuel makes a speech of Warning to the Israelites.  The aforementioned speech is about the powers and actions of Leaders Indirectly ( i.e with God's Reluctant acceptance) empowered by the peoples ( i.e the establishment of Israelite monarchy ).  Prophet Samuel tells the Israelite peoples that the Israelite Kings would for the most part use the peoples as laborers & military personnel , and use the land of the nation for king's own farming, & take a percentage of their crops, flocks and cattle.  Essentially, Samuel tells the Israelites that a king would view Israel as his own personal fiefdom.

King Saul gave into the fleshly desires of the people in 1 Samuel 15 by allowing them to take the choicest of spoils of the Amalekites instead of obeying God's command that ordered Saul to utterly destroy all the Amalekites,and everything belonging to the Amalekites.(which is very similar to modern day elected politicians in democracies who might give into fleshly desires of the voters based on opinion polls for specific political issues even though their desires are wrong)


-The Proverbs 23:1-3 bible verses suggest that we should Not be too dependent on sustenance of rulers probably because the rulers might find out that they have leverage over you, and therefore, can possibly bully/oppress you:

Proverbs 23:1-3
23 When you sit down to dine with a ruler,
Consider carefully what is before you,
2 And put a knife to your throat
If you are a man of great appetite.
3 Do not desire his delicacies,
For it is deceptive food.

-Even a man after God's own heart, King David,takes advantage of his powers as king  in 2 Samuel 11 by sinfully committing adultery with a
married woman, and then goes on to kill her husband.


Now, it's certainly Not one-sided because the bible also indicates the faults of the subjects / voters / people:

-The Judges 9 chapter's narrative is a good example of the volatile nature of the peoples / subjects behaviour towards their leaders.  Judges 9:2-4 show how Abimelech convinced the people of Shechem to follow him, but then as time goes by, it mentions in Judges 9:23 that Shechem's people later turned against Abimelech.

-Absalom's handsome features are referenced in the 2 Samuel 14:25 bible verse, and with his charisma he (2 Samuel 15:6) "stole away the
hearts of the men of Israel".  The use of the word (2 Samuel 15:6) "stole" has a negative connotation that suggests how the people can mistakenly be so enamoured by the image of their leaders as opposed to the leader's actions and policies which is the actual substance.

-Furthermore, 2 Samuel 15:10-11's recounts the events just before Absalom's attempted coup against King David which states that the followers of Absalom "went innocently, and they did not know anything."  Essentially, 2 Samuel 15:10-11 is evidence that the people can easily be swayed to do the will of a leader who is handsome, charismatic and charming.

 Acts 12:21-23 is a great example in the New Testament that shows the dangerously complex relationship between leaders and people because the people mistakenly say that King Herod was a god, and King Herod Fails to give the Glory to God, and therefore, an angel of God
killed King Herod.


(As a side Note, an interesting leader who showed some good leadership qualities was Queen Elizabeth II who worked behind the scenes to
fight the South African government's apartheid which suggest that she did Not do it for the popularity or fame:

   ----------------( Credit Reference:
https://www.nbcnews.com/pop-culture/tv/crown-season-4-did-queen-elizabeth-ii-margaret-thatcher-get-n1247289
)-----------------
Nonetheless, Elizabeth has been credited with using her influence to
pressure the South African government over its institutionalized
racist segregation. Former Canadian Prime Minister Brian Mulroney, for
instance, has described her as a "behind-the-scenes force" in helping
to bring an end to South African apartheid."Did she work behind the
scenes in the case of South Africa to offer encouragement to Nelson
Mandela? Yes," Smith said. "But she did it by using her soft power.
She never was in a confrontational situation with Margaret Thatcher."
----------------( Credit Reference:
https://www.nbcnews.com/pop-culture/tv/crown-season-4-did-queen-elizabeth-ii-margaret-thatcher-get-n1247289
)-----------------
    
To conclude, as (1 Timothy 2:1-2) states, it is important for people to pray for their leaders but at the same time people should cautiously view
their worldly leaders.

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