麻豆社

One of the characteristics of contemporary western society is a lack of trust for authority, or at least for those who have authority because of the position they hold or the organisation they represent. There are all kinds of reasons for this, growing largely out of a post enlightenment world view, which has relativized truth and emphasised individual autonomy. But suspicion of authority has also come about because those in positions of power have abused their status and distorted the true sense of what it means to have authority. There鈥檚 barely an organisation, including the church, left untarnished by scandals of financial greed or sexual abuse. And all this suspicion is fuelled when those under authority feel they aren鈥檛 listened to 鈥� that their voices aren鈥檛 heard.

The word 鈥渁uthority鈥� comes from the Latin augere 鈥� to grow. All authority, whether parental, religious, civic or professional should be used to help others grow towards greater freedom, justice and truth. Essentially authority is about those whom it serves, not about the individual who wields it. We catch a glimpse of this true meaning of authority in the lives of those health workers, more than 100 doctors, nurses and others, who in providing care for those struck down by the Coronavirus have themselves died, paying the ultimate price for carrying out their responsibilities and exercising their authority.

Christians are currently in the season of Easter, celebrating Jesus鈥� resurrection, remembering Christ鈥檚 triumph and authority even over death. But Christians also should always remember that this Jesus was the same Jesus who spent his life displaying authority through serving others: healing the sick, challenging the powerful, taking seriously those whom society undervalued and pushed to the margins: women, children, the poor, those with disabilities and so on. Just a few days before his death Jesus had knelt at the feet of his disciples to wash their feet, demonstrating quite literally what is sometimes referred to in Christian theology as 鈥渁uthority from below鈥�- authority from a place of service and humility, a desire to see others grow and flourish. And in allowing their feet to be washed by Jesus each disciple was aligning them self to Jesus鈥� message that God鈥檚 Kingdom is a place where the weak and marginalised are given centre stage. Where all those in authority must seek to put others first and self second. Any government, any organisation, any church, and I might add any Bishop like myself, that loses sight of this message, ceases to exercise authority in any meaningful sense.