When leaders disappoint

 Luke 23:6-12

When Pilate heard this, he asked whether the man was a Galilean. And when he learned that he was under Herod’s jurisdiction, he sent him off to Herod, who was himself in Jerusalem at that time. When Herod saw Jesus, he was very glad, for he had been wanting to see him for a long time, because he had heard about him and was hoping to see him perform some sign. He questioned him at some length, but Jesus gave him no answer. The chief priests and the scribes stood by, vehemently accusing him. Even Herod with his soldiers treated him with contempt and mocked him; then he put an elegant robe on him, and sent him back to Pilate. That same day Herod and Pilate became friends with each other; before this they had been enemies.

Herod and Pilate became friends.

United in inadequacy.

Colluders in indecisiveness.

Dangerous in their inability to see and to do what was right.

For thus it was… and is

Those of whom we expect better

seem destined to let us down

And those from whom we expect little

are sure to fall short of common decency 

with their propensity

to over promise and under deliver.

The vagaries of leadership

where personal integrity and accountability

has long been missing in action

serves up few surprises in moral bankruptcy 

This we know…

In a week when we remember

how it all played out

for the Son of God

we notice again

how ordinary people

and few of them

were the ones who stuck around long enough

to see hope emerge from despair

and light emerge from the darkness

And as political forces did their worst

the Son of God cried out

Forgive.

And so we continue on our way to the cross

where amidst jeering and hatred

and cries of condemnation

love spills its’ guts

And the suffering of the world

is consumed in the violence of death

and transformed in the immensity of love.

(Liz Crumlish)