May 2006 - Volume 10, Issue 10

Editorial – Bring Forth Christ-Like Leaders

By Rev. Mark Connolly

Painting of Christ

History can teach us a great amount if we make it a point to study history. Let me give you a few examples. All of us know that when the United States was at war with Japan and Germany the casualties were astronomical. All of us know that when we were at war with Vietnam, the casualties on both sides were equally astronomical. All of us know when we were at war with Korea thousands of young men and woman on both sides lost their lives. If you go back in history to all of these countries not too long after the wars were over we were trading with each other. United States was trading with Japan, the United States was trading with Germany, the United States was trading with Vietnam and Korea. Do you ever think after the war in Iraq is over that the United States would be trading with Iraq as we did with other counties that were our enemies in the past? Doesn't it seems strange that we have to have hundreds of thousands of people killed and injured and then trade with their relatives and the surviving members of their families? Wouldn't it be wonderful if each country could create leaders that would develop economic plans for healthy competition that would get all countries more involved in an economic war than a military war? Why is it we have to learn so late what General Sherman said years ago that Awar is hell@? Solid leaders for the future will be tremendous help in lessening the number of wars that this world experiences every decade.

In his famous address to the United Nations, Pope Paul VI repeated the phrase, Awar never again, war never again@. But even with the admonition, wars go on and those who are in power have a hundred and one reasons to justify why we have to save the world from this mad leader or prevent a thing like communism from going all over the world. They are convinced that their reasons justify war and the tragedies that follow in a war. Maybe it is our fault when we elect a leader. We know so little about his intentions or abilities to lead. But I really believe the great leaders of the world are those who can keep their countries at peace. To kill, injure and destroy really is not the mark of a great leader. To help counties that are in need to reach out to those who are in pain, to keep peace within our own homes and countries, those are some of the challenges the leaders of today must face. We all know about politics and corruption and the desire for power.

Bishop Fulton Sheen once said, that it was only 3% of the communist party controlled Russia and yet had such a profound influence on the Russian people. Russia is still trying to unravel itself from the dangers that we used to call atheistic communism. Each one of us can sit back and watch the news and criticize this president or that leader. If we analyze it, if we were in their same spot could we do any better?

It is very easy to sit on the sidelines to criticize, to be negative, to be cynical. Anyone can do that. But what we need today to come from your home, a group of young men and young woman who can bring into the world the principals of Christ, the values of Christ and the ideals of Christ. Each one of us knows that we will never live in a perfect world. We have over 1 billion Muslims, over 800 million Hindus, over 700 million Buddhists, each one following the principals of their original leaders. Our country is a Judeo-Christian country founded to give religious freedom to everyone. Each Christian, each Catholic, will always have respect and reverence for the religion of another, but each Catholic has a duty and obligation to Christ to bring the teachings of Christ into the society in which he or she lives. We cannot join the ranks of the cynics and negative people who just berate those who are in leadership positions and do nothing to try to improve the situation. Your family can be a special gift to society if they are taught about the values of Christ and the ideals of Christ. Your family and other Christian families can bring forth leaders in to a society that seriously needs then. If they bring forth Christ-like leaders who implement his teachings they will not only give honor and glory to their country, but honor and glory to Christ who died on the Cross for them.