Hopewit

  Politics . You can tell how people relate to this word by the way they use it. “I’m not much interested in politics,” for instance, equates it with the day-to-day news about our current government, elections, party dynamics, etc. A narrow definition.                By whatever word we use, it’s clear that the setting and enforcing of the principles under which we form community—and function as community—existed before the word was coined. In families, in schools, in workplaces, on the roads, in the economy, the making and respecting of agreed-to behavioural expectations in a community is the necessary defense against chaos.                How behavioural expectations come to be, how they are altered, how they are enforced … and most importantly by whose authority … is fundamental. The “benevolent dictator” model has a long history: give all authority to the smartest and/or the most powerful person or group and trust them/him/her to rule for the good of the community/nation. For

  The story of The Prodigal Son (Luke 15:11-32) is familiar to every practicing Christian, I presume. It’s one of Jesus’ most powerful parables, an allegory illustrating important truths. We may not always agree on what truths are most important there, but the allegory popped up again for me when I read that hopes are high for rescue personnel and helicopters to search again for three missing climbers in very difficult terrain. (CBC News, June 08, 2024) Put crassly, how much risk and effort do we owe others when in self-inflicted danger? The obedient other son in the parable is appalled at his father’s embrace of the one whose demise followed his own—eye’s open—bad choices. His, “All my life I’ve been a model son, and you’ve never thrown a banquet for me!” is an eminently logical accusation. Nobody has ever staged a celebration to honour me for not climbing precarious precipices, never taking illicit drugs, not abusing alcohol or disobeying driving rules either. We know by now th