HOW CAN CHRISTIANS RESPOND TO POOR LEADERSHIP?

Many people perceive leadership in different ways but what is important is to ask the question as to whether whatever kind of leadership provides what the citizens want and demand from the leaders. The type of leadership that is commonly practiced is the political leadership where leaders hold a social contract with the citizens who elect them into power. According to Robert Rotberg, governance is performance and the delivery of high political goods to citizens. These political goods include security, rule of law, participation and human rights and development. These goods are translated into the basic services like good roads, quality education, good health, better salaries and that the Governments are obliged to provide these to the community who elected them into power-the social contract. What therefore makes poor leadership is when leaders relax providing the good to the citizens and the citizens too lose trust in their leaders, when the bridge between leaders and citizens is broken, the situation is termed as bad governance. In Uganda, there are scenarios of failed governance due to the failure of leaders to provide to their citizens. This is indicated through poor roads, poor health (high maternity and mortality rates), high crime rate and general relaxation of leaders. How then should the Christians respond to this situation of poor leadership? It is well noted that Christianity roots back to the days of colonialism and that it was a strong tool for colonialism as many people were taught to submit to their masters for the kingdom of heaven is theirs. Therefore Christianity played a major role in silencing the would be rebellions against the colonialists. It is also important to examine the role of Christianity in fighting poor leadership. Should Christians continue submitting to poor leaders or should they oppose poor leadership? And if they oppose poor leadership, are they still “good Christians”? I Timothy 2 presents an interesting text when Paul says that the kings, leaders and the people should exist in peace. This means that Christians should always keep in peace with their leaders, so what happens when the leaders mess up? Ecclesiastes 8:2 also commands us to keep the King’s Command. Its true there is need to respect the kings but we should not condone their evil doings. Christians should condemn the poor leadership first because they are citizens who voted or their leaders and therefore have a right to demand accountability from them. Proverbs says that when good leaders come, people are rejoicing and when the bad leaders come into leadership, people go into hiding. This means that God is against bad/poor leaders and whoever rises against them is doing what is right for a community. The Christians should also pray for poor leadership as it is God who brings the same leaders to us therefore there is need to incorporate prayers in every aspect of leadership therefore prayer will help change poor leadership. Christians should also get involved into non-violent demand for accountability platforms, change movements among others, civil disobedience is efficient as it costs no lives but yet yields results. Martin Luther who was a Christian led black people to achieve black independence, this shows that Christians should get involved into movements that will bring liberation. In Uganda, Bishop Zack Niringiye the retired Kampala Bishop has embarked on the restoration of presidential term limits in order to restore good governance. This is an example of a Christian who is fighting poor leadership and this does not make one less a Christian. The Christians should stop giving audience to those bad leaders that fellowship with them in their churches until they denounce their bad traits and also deliver the political goods to the citizens; this will ensure that Christianity is not being used to manipulate people but rather used to fight governance vices. In conclusion, it makes no one less Christian to fight for good governance after all God is a just and peaceful God who delivers to his people in time of need therefore it is not until Christians rise up to fight for good governance that poor leadership will be a myth.

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