Robert Hruzek asked high calling bloggers and middle zone muse-ers to write about what we learned from government.
After a bit of research, I’ve learned that government should not about power but control. There’s a difference. Thankfully, the American government has once again peacefully transferred control from one leader to another. Beginning today a newly reshuffled government is already charting our country’s course for the next four years.
I use a sailing metaphor on purpose. According to my superlative dictionary (the OED), the word “government” comes to us through old French from the Latin guberno. Latin I used to teach Latin, so this sort of thing brings back fond memories of students wearing togas and reciting Caesar.
Guberno means to steer. Steering a Roman ship was no small task, even the small navis lusoria. This video makes it look easy, but as Publius Cyrus said in the first century, “Anyone can steer the ship when the sea is calm.”
According to some of the material I read, early Roman ships didn’t have rudders as we understand them. (They had quarter rudders.) Practically speaking, this meant that the pilot/gubernator was not just sitting at the till. He was shouting commands to the oarsmen to steer through their combined efforts. The gubernator alone had little power to change the ship’s direction. Only when the oarsmen listened to his voice and followed his lead, could the ship reach its destination.
No matter what the weather, a good gubernator would give good instructions and steer the ship well.
An ineffective gubernator was another matter. In calm weather, he might slow things down a bit. In harsh weather, he could lead everyone to a watery grave.
That’s government. The word itself contains a picture of what it means. Good government steers the efforts of a people—directing their spirit and will and strength. The primary source of power lies with the people.
Without our cooperation and support and (dare I say it?) continued engagement, the government has very little power. It can sit and twist its rudder all day long to little effect.
We need people to be engaged in the world—working, listening, acting, and responding to our leaders. Whatever we think of the gubernator, he’s setting the vision. If we don’t listen and respond, we go nowhere.
But if we listen… if we engage… if we take responsibility for our lives and our families and our work and our goals and our hopes and our faith and our future…
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You make a strong point here, Marcus. Ultimately WE are responsible for who we choose to govern us. And yes, they answer to us. But we DO have to become engaged enough to demand the best from them.
But there are times I despair of the democratic method. Wasn't that how Israel chose Saul to be their king? Because they liked him, not because he was qualified.
Good words on staying engaged in life. On another note, I was driving into work this morning about 6:20 a.m. when I was pleasantly surprised to hear Howard Butt come on the radio talking about Laity Lodge and thehighcalling.org. And I'm up in Massachusetts!
I did not know that! thanks.
And in our government, there are really multiple pilots. Which, in a way, is both comforting and scary. Comforting because it differs from a dictatorship or even a kingship where one person really does exert excessive control and vision. Scary because it means that when we get ourselves onto the rocks, it means that a whole lot of prominent people pitched in to steer us that way.
Still, the “common people” have a lot of power when it comes to how we're ultimately steered. Yes, I even consider the economic crisis when I say this. In other words, maybe when we embrace the thought that we can live on the edge of our finances and buy more than we could ever pay for on credit, maybe we too have created part of the problem.
Robert, Israel elected a king for life. We only elect people for four years. There's comfort in that sometimes.
Ray, good to see you again here! And I'm glad you're hearing the radio messages up there. They play on nearly 1000 stations across the country. No agenda except to offer encouragement to people on their way to work.
RLP, glad I could help fill your head with more trivia or questionable value.
LL, the analogy breaks down at a certain point, but you are definitely onto something about the economic crisis. Is it possible that massive consumer debt could weaken an economy? This stuff doesn't seem like rocket science to me.
That stuff about the Roman ships and their relationship to the word “government” is simply fascinating. (What can I say… I love words, history, and the history of words.)
Be engaged….Amen! This is a fascinating and thoughtful piece, I totally agree that we all need to be active and engaged…otherwise, we are giving up our power and ceding our rights for no better reason then that we don't want to take the time to be involved. Great post!
Great sailing metaphor. Let's hope the light house is beaming strong with a change in government here – so that we can begin to move through the choppy waters ahead together! Thanks Marcus!
Marcus,
I find comfort in the thought that the ship won't move without the oarsmen. If our ship were able to steer into the waters by itself, that would be dictatorship!
marcus, your post is clear, pointed, assembled and memorable. i like to read pieces like this.