URL - http://theghousediary.blogspot.com/2013/05/texas-faith-mark-sanford-and-politics.html
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Mark Sanford won election to Congress from South Carolina last week after a major fall from grace. As you likely know, only a few years ago Sanford was the governor of his state. But the Republican was caught in a big lie, saying he was hiking the Appalachian Trail when he actually was in Argentina with his mistress.
His political career quickly fell apart, and so did his marriage. Sanford went from a leader with national expectations to a public figure thrown way out of the headlines.
But he’s back. Sanford defeated Democrat Elizabeth Colbert Busch by a convincing margin. He now will return to Congress, where he once served before becoming governor.
For some, there was a big ick factor to his victory. But Sanford is not the only politician who’s ever sought a second-chance. Richard Nixon came out of the political grave several times. Similarly, Bill Clinton rose and fell and rose more than once. And, after an embarrassing presidential bid in 2012, Texas’ own Rick Perry could try once more for the White House in 2016.
From a theological perspective, what are we to make of politicians seeking second chances? Forgiveness is a concept espoused in many religions. In Christianity, it is arguably the central concept.
But how does forgiveness apply in our public life? Or, at what point, does it not apply?
Forgiveness is a central idea in every religion. All our religions are the essence of universal wisdom that are aimed at making our lives better. Whether we believe in a God or not, a learned psychologist would have prescribed repentance. And seeking forgiveness to the one who has wronged the other releases one from the bondage of anxiety and restores normalcy to the individual.
Life is about physical, mental and spiritual balance. We lose our spiritual balance when we mess with the balance of our surroundings. Chief Seattle had said something to this effect, that we are merely a strand in the web of the world. If we mess with it, we mess with ourselves in the end.
One of the ways of restoring the balance within and without is forgiveness and genuine repentance. An individual finds relief when he repents, and societies find freedom when they forgive the sinner.
The teachings of Jesus say that, in effect, we can blame the sin but not the sinner. And the Prophet Muhammad says: God loves those who forgive. Indeed the two sets of people God likes the most and least are the ones who forgive and the ones who are arrogant.
Forgiveness is a universal principle regardless of the religiosity of an individual or a society, and it applies in our public life as much as it applies in our personal lives.
Presidential candidates like Gary Hart, John Edwards and several governors and elected representatives were not forgiven by society. But Bill Clinton and Mark Sanford were forgiven through the ballot and it is up to them to live up to it. President Clinton lived up to it and is serving humanity and doing a lot of good to the world we live in. Mark Sanford has an opportunity to prove that he is worthy of the new leash.
However, there are conditions when it comes to public life. The individual must not repeat the wrong and cannot pretend to have washed off the sin. His or her public actions will determine if one has repented and is worthy of societal forgiveness. Forgiveness will not be retracted if they do wrong again, but they will be nailed for a new sin.
...............Mike Ghouse is a speaker, thinker and a writer on pluralism, politics, peace, Islam, Israel,India, interfaith, and cohesion at work place. He is committed to building a Cohesive Americaand offers pluralistic solutions on issues of the day at www.TheGhousediary.com. He believes in Standing up for others and has done that throughout his life as an activist. Mike has a presence on national and local TV, Radio and Print Media. He is a frequent guest onSean Hannity show on Fox TV, and a commentator on national radio networks, he contributes weekly to the Texas Faith Column at Dallas Morning News; fortnightly atHuffington post; and several other periodicals across the world. His personal sitewww.MikeGhouse.net indexes all his work through many links.
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