Most of us have probably complained about the abundance and content of political ads this year – and every year – and we are right to do that, I think. Maybe it’s just me, but I rarely see or hear anything of a substantive nature. I might know where they stand in general, but these elections seem to be more about voting the party line than really knowing the difference between candidates and what they stand for. I was listening to a report on NPR yesterday about the senate race in Texas and was appalled to hear every republican state their support for Ken Paxton, regardless of his immoral and unethical record. And while I think that his opponent, James Talarico, is an excellent person, even his ads annoy me to no end. I like jokes and funny stories, but his ads are mostly juvenile. As I watch and listen and consider who to vote for, I often ask myself, “Where are the adults? We need better adults!”
I don’t mean to say that there aren’t real, mature adults in politics; I happen to be represented by some really fine people in my state and federal government. I know a lot of incredible public servants who are real adults. Doesn’t it seem, though, that we need more of these better adults in leadership? I think back to presidential debates when I was younger, and I don’t recall the kind of vitriol and name calling that seems to have emerged in the last 20 years. And while this includes our current president, he is not alone in this boorish behavior. Just watch any congressional hearing and you can witness a lot of really bad behavior; immaturity on steroids. And sure, it might be that the internet allows us to avail ourselves to material that we couldn’t before, but I don’t think that’s the entire answer. It’s almost as if we are de-volving – that the bar is being consistently lowered. Maybe all of society is spiraling down, racing to the bottom.
We need better adults. We need them in every aspect of society. We need more maturity in religion, politics, and journalism. We need better parents who will raise their children to be accountable and responsible. We need better leaders who will choose what’s right rather than what benefits only them. We need better judges who will maintain the rule of law. And we need to nip narcissism in the bud; immature children who are not held to high standards become immature adults who abuse others. Don’t tell me that your opponent has low testosterone or plays video games – tell me what you will do to make life more affordable so I can feed my family and afford gas. Jesus said that we must become like children to enter the kingdom of heaven, but the Apostle Paul tells us to give up our childish ways. We need to do better. We can have child-like wonder without being jerks about it.
Prayer – Holy God, may our lives grow in wisdom as we care for one another. Amen.
Today’s art is part of series called “Treasures of Wisdom” by an artist named Tilly.