Too great expectations – February 2014
Hello and greetings from Cairo, Egypt!
Well, a lot has been going on in Egypt in the past three years. After 30 years of political stability, suddenly two major revolutions occurred ousting two presidents, and resulting in much political and social turmoil.
I’d like to reflect on one of the major current happenings in Egypt, the upcoming presidential elections. But instead of commenting on it from a political perspective, I’d like to tackle it from a Christian worldview.
To be honest, I’m quite disappointed at how many Christians are placing all their hopes for the future on presidential candidates – placing them on “saviour” pedestals. No matter how qualified a candidate is, he will always have limitations. This expectation of perfection will only lead to further discontent and upheaval!
This reminds me of the people of God in the Old Testament who demanded a king in spite of the Lord’s warning of what the King would do. Samuel spelt out the consequences very clearly: “This is what the king who will reign over you will claim as his rights: He will take your sons and make them serve with his chariots and horses… He will take your daughters to be perfumers and cooks and bakers. He will take the best of your fields and vineyards and olive groves and give them to his attendants… When that day comes, you will cry out for relief from the king you have chosen, but the Lord will not answer you in that day” (1 Samuel 8:11-18, NIV).
In spite of all the details of God’s warning including the fact that He will not answer their cries… they insisted. They wanted a king like “like all the other nations” (1 Samuel 8:20, NIV).
They had the Lord God Almighty, the King of kings as their King, yet He didn’t seem enough for them. They wanted a physical king to go before them. They wanted a saviour they could see with their very eyes.
History seems to be repeating itself, as it often does. Here we are again, waiting for a saviour we can clap eyes on, expecting him to do the impossible. Unfortunately, with this mindset, no matter how good our next president turns out to be, we have a recipe for destruction. Whoever is elected, the reality is they , will never measure up to the people’s “saviour” expectations.
I wish the Church of Egypt would wake up and place their hope in the true Saviour. We have a godly mandate to pray for our nation and to be faithful citizens. May we fulfill this role rather than disappointing the heart of our heavenly Father and hindering our nation’s progress.
Blessings
Nancy