Wisdom and Government
from Christian Concern:
Dr Joe Boot explores the dramatically different outcomes of wisdom and folly in the lives of individuals and governments. He highlights the biblical accounts of the lives of Solomon and Nabal as examples, respectively, of wisdom and folly. As Christians, Joe says, we are gifted with godly wisdom and we are called to engage with culture. He concludes by stating that “working with government and rulers is our act of worship, the end of which is the glory of God.”
[…] Until relatively recently, two of the characteristics that would have been looked for and prioritised when selecting religious, political and legislative leaders in the Western world were wisdom and virtue. Because of the deep influence of Christianity in the Anglosphere, both competency and character mattered as qualifications for leadership. This was because, for the most part, the peoples of the Anglosphere themselves considered wisdom and virtue to be noble aims and core goals in the character development of the young through family life and education. The word ‘virtue’ comes from a Latin word and originally meant strength, courage and moral excellence. The words in the biblical languages of Hebrew and Greek translated as ‘virtue’ essentially mean moral strength, a prudent use of one’s abilities and a general competency.