When Examples Are Lacking

A reflection on conscience and public service.

We live in a time of great disillusionment with politics.

You only have to follow the national news, or even local conversations, to see that the struggle for power seems to take up more space than the pursuit of the common good.

In small towns in the interior, this reality becomes even more sensitive.

Because here we know the people. We are not talking only about parties, offices or ideologies. We are talking about neighbors, friends and people we meet in our daily lives.

In several conversations with our councilmen, I heard different justifications for similar choices.

One of them said he already had a commitment to a congressman from another region.

Another said that the proposal of thinking about the common good was valid, but that his religious group had already committed its support to specific candidates.

And a third, with several terms behind him, told me:

“Show me an example of a councilman I can follow, and I will follow. You have to be in there to know the system.”

I confess that this sentence kept echoing in my heart.

Because, in fact, we do not always find clear examples to follow.

What do we do when examples are lacking?

Wait indefinitely for someone perfect?

Give up doing what we recognize as right?

Or follow what our conscience, enlightened by God, invites us to do?

Curiously, when many are looking for someone to follow, Jesus had already made a simple and profound invitation.

“Follow me.”

And maybe that is a decisive word for our time.

Because, when human examples are lacking, this still remains.

A conscience to serve

The letter to the Hebrews offers us a very profound word:

“… the eternal Spirit… will cleanse our conscience from dead works, so that we may serve the living God.”

Hebrews 9:14

Maybe this is one of the great needs of our time: men and women whose conscience is being cleansed in order to serve.

Not only politicians or religious citizens.

But people in whom Christ is being formed.

The Son of the living God

When Peter recognized who Jesus was, he declared:

“You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”

Matthew 16:16

Peter was not merely repeating religious information.

He was recognizing the life of God made manifest in Jesus.

And Paul said:

“My children, I am again suffering the pains of childbirth for you, until Christ is formed in you.”

Galatians 4:19

Maybe the children of the living God are precisely those in whom Christ continues to be formed by the Holy Spirit.

Ordinary, imperfect people, but guided by an ever more sensitive conscience.

The narrow road

Maybe that is precisely where a new hope is born for politics, for our towns and for our society.

Not hope placed in perfect leaders.

But the hope that Christ continues to be formed in ordinary human beings, called to serve the living God and others with sincerity of heart.

Politics will only recover its dignity when the common good once again becomes more important than private interests, group commitments and struggles over slices of power.

And this does not depend only on politicians, but also on us.

On what we value, what we tolerate and what we are willing to build together.

That is why Paul left us a very necessary warning:

“Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may be able to test and approve the good, pleasing and perfect will of God.”

Romans 12:2

Not conforming to how a system works just because everyone says that is how it works.

Because a conscience like that does not easily get used to what harms the common good.

Jesus spoke about a narrow gate and a hard road that leads to life:

“Enter through the narrow gate, for wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction…. narrow is the gate, and hard is the road that leads to life! Few are those who find it.”

Matthew 7:13-14

Maybe the narrow road, in public life too, is this:

to listen to conscience when everyone adapts to the system and follows convenience;

to seek the common good when many are fighting over slices of power;

to serve the living God when so many serve only passing interests.

You are the light of the world

“You are the light of the world…”

Matthew 5:14

In times of disillusionment, maybe the temptation is only to complain about the darkness.

But Jesus invites us to something greater: to be light.

Light that reveals other paths, seeking the common good, and does not conform to the patterns of this world.

Light that keeps following Christ, even when examples are lacking all around.