January  12. 3000 years ago Samuel, one of the wise Judges of the people of Israel, warned the people about possible abuses of leadership.  When they asked for a king to lead them he warned them about corruption and abuse of power.  Every country, or leadership structure down to a family has this potential.   Mr Khumalo taught political science at the university but he and his wife also spoke to their own teenage children.   “When elections come up,” he said, “think seriously about who will receive your vote. We have to work on moral regeneration, make “ubuntu” a reality and promote true justice.”

Reflect, share. Scripture:  It displeased Samuel that they should say “Let us have a king to rule us, so he prayed to the Lord. But the Lord said to Samuel, “obey the voice of the people for it is not you they have rejected, they have rejected me.”  Samuel 8:4-22.  Pope Francis:   The worship of the golden calf has returned in a new and ruthless guise in the idolatry of money and the dictatorship of an impersonal economy.  EG55.  Once the human being declares independence from reality and behaves with absolute dominion the very foundations of our life begin to crumble, for instead of carrying out his role as a cooperator with God in the work of creation, man sets himself up in place of God and thus ends up provoking a rebellion on the part of nature.   LS117.  Pray:  for an end to the scourge of corruption and for leadership of integrity.  Choose appropriate action.