Sometimes I wonder how we get to certain topics in conversation. We’ll be going through the course of our lives and all of a sudden we will be conversing about a topic that seems to have nothing to do with what is going on in our household. It is one of the fascinations of free and open conversation. Our minds wander. Put two or more minds together and the range of wandering is even wider than for an individual. When we go for a walk, we just talk about what comes to our minds. We might talk about current events, politics, individuals we have known, family history, household purchases, the weather, the position of the stars and planets, the distance between various landmarks that we can see, breeds of ducks, brands of automobiles, how to repair an appliance, school policies past and present, medical appointments, menus for meals, and a dozen more topics in a 30 to 45 minute walk. When we take a longer walk, we talk about even more topics.

Last evening, after I finished leading a small group over Zoom we went from volunteering at school to the public acceptance of politicians who lie in a 5-minute conversation. I remember that I said, “Running for political office is something that I can never see myself doing. I appreciate that some people want to be involved in politics, but I’m not that someone.” It is a sentiment that I have expressed several times. If you were to press me, however, I would have to agree that there are politics in the church and that learning to understand power dynamics and relationships is essential to serving in a church.

One of the dynamics of the church, however, is that the politics are often turned upside down. Winning a battle in the church often doesn’t make one a winner. Jesus noted that the one who wants to be first must become servant of all. He also said, whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life because of me will surely find it. There really is no career ladder to climb in the vocation of serving the church, or if there is, it is very short. Personally, leaving a job as senior minister with responsibilities for managing a congregation and becoming a part-time minister of faith formation has felt like a promotion in many ways. I spend more time doing the things I love best and less time dealing with tasks that I don’t enjoy. I’m perfectly happy to have someone else in charge. I’m not losing sleep over the church budget as the annual meeting approaches. Actually, when I was a church janitor during my student years, I enjoyed that job quite a bit. I don’t think I’d mind doing it again.

When it comes to national politics, however, it seems like people who become life-long politicians become increasingly corrupted by their alliances and commitments and behind the scenes arm twisting. Part of our conversation last night was the observation that “all politicians lie.” Of course such a bold generalization isn’t factually true, but certainly a lot of politicians become practiced liars. Sometimes a political figure arises who is particularly corrupt. I don’t know much about George Santos, but he has been accused of lying about everything from his resume to his religion. There was an article on BBC recently where a veteran was interviewed about his accusation that Santos had stollen money from a Go Fund Me campaign that sought donations to provide surgery for the man’s dog. You’ve got to be scraping close to the bottom of the barrel to elect a representative that steals from a dog. If the charges are true, some of the voters might think they made a mistake with their ballot.

I simply am not willing to do what it takes to get elected to national office. I don’t want to subject my family to abuse. I don’t want to have to attack other candidates. I don’t want to make behind the scenes deals with donors. I don’t want the job.

There are a few politicians, however, who have gained my admiration. Jacinda Arden, prime minister of New Zealand is one of them. Her compassion and caring in handling the Covid-19 pandemic was a model for leaders everywhere. Under her leadership, her country faced a recession, shootings in a mosque, and the eruption of a volcano. She was the youngest female head of government when she was elected in 2017. She is the second world leader ever to have given birth while serving as head of state. And now, in what I believe is another brilliant example of leadership, she announced yesterday that she will resign as Prime Minister. “We need a fresh set of shoulders for [the next] challenge.” It is rare indeed for a world leader to admit that they aren’t the only one for the job. It is rare for one to step aside to allow new leadership to emerge. "I hope I leave New Zealanders with a belief that you can be kind, but strong, empathetic but decisive, optimistic but focused. And that you can be your own kind of leader - one who knows when it's time to go," she said.

I believe that this world could use a few more leaders like that.

One of the questions I ask myself about my career is whether or not I stayed too long as pastor in Rapid City. Did I make the transition following my time of service more difficult by staying too long? Would it have been better for the church if I had moved on sooner? Of course there is no clear answer to those questions. The relationship between a pastor an a congregation is always a relationship. I wasn’t the only one making decisions about how long to stay and when to move on. We did what we thought was right at the time.

I’m sure that Jacinda Arden has private doubts and questions her decisions in private, but publicly she seems to have made a lot of correct decisions. Other world leaders would do well to pay attention and learn from the lessons she is teaching.