top of page

Responding to Bad Leaders

How do you deal with bad leaders? Do you just get upset at them? Do you harbor a grudge, or speak evil about them? Most Americans today have a problem with authority (including vast numbers of us who do not think that we do!). We all know that it is fairly easy to follow and obey good leaders. Those who are considerate enough to speak to us with gentle clarity are quite easy to take commands from (even if the commands are not great).


Think, however, about those bad leaders who do more to cause harm than to cause good. In yesterday's Old Testament reading for Mass, the Lord calls the leaders of Jerusalem, "the rulers of Sodom", and the citizens the, "people of Gomorrah". In other words, their sins are of the same nature as those two destroyed cities. Of all the titles to be given to the people of God, calling them "Sodom and Gomorrah" is very condemning.


They were clearly evil. Therefore, in the Gospel reading for yesterday, Jesus makes it clear for us how we are to respond to evil rulers. "Observe whatever they tell you" is what our Lord says. In other words (excepting, of course, sinful commands), the Lord wants us to be examples of humble obedience even in the face of bad leadership. Regardless of how bad a ruler is, if he tells us to do something good, we have no right to reject all they say because of their sinful behavior.


This is why we are supposed to show respect to everyone, regardless of whether they have earned that respect. If someone commands us to do something sinful, then, of course, we are not to obey. Yet it is far too easy to dismiss someone because we do not like their leadership. I have heard many stories of people willing to disobey a priest because they did not like him. This is not what we are called to. They will be judged for their disobedience and bad leadership, but that does not give us freedom to be just as rebellious in our response to them.

19 views

Recent Posts

See All

Today is Ember Friday. People at St. George keep asking "what are the Ember days?" Here is a quick bullet point tutorial. 1. They happen four times a year, and correspond roughly to the change of seas

A couple years ago, I met someone who recognized the massive corruption in Washington DC. I asked him what he thought the solution was to the problem. He told me "Round up everyone in DC and put them

...Why is seemingly OK for clergy and laity to express disagreement with things like the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist, the Nicene Creed, the Council of Trent, the first Vatican Council, or

bottom of page