When the righteous thrive, the people rejoice; when the wicked rule, the people groan. – Proverbs 29:2

Today’s Scripture Reading (January 13, 2026): Proverbs 29

What do we mean when we say “righteous?” I lament that the word has taken on an almost exclusively religious meaning. It denotes moral or ethical behavior and is also associated with faith. But righteousness is something that we all want because we all have a sense and a desire for what we think is right. What is right can differ across political understandings. I have always described myself as a fiscal conservative. Part of what that means to me is that I support principles like balanced budgets. We need to pay down our debt because we spend too much servicing it, including accrued interest. That is money that could be put to better use if our debt weren’t so high. Moreover, there might be a day when we need to borrow money to help with a disaster we can’t see coming, but if we have borrowed all the money we can during good times or even just okay times, it won’t be there for us when disaster strikes.

Maybe you disagree. That’s okay. Well-meaning people can have disagreements. What we think is right may differ. Perhaps that should be what we mean by the word "righteous": people who are willing to do what is right. The righteous have a sense of right and wrong and act accordingly. Perhaps it doesn’t always align with what I think is right, but righteous people consistently follow a moral code. They will not act self-servingly to gain power; they will do what they believe is right.

We can celebrate when righteous people are in authority. One reason is that we can trust that they will follow the established law because the law is a byproduct of morality in every society. Again, morality must be separated from its religious connotations. The law establishes benefits for all people. Righteous leaders won’t take shortcuts or do things that only benefit some of the people. Righteous leaders commit to leading all the people.

However, that isn’t true for the unrighteous, or what the Bible often refers to as the wicked person. They are concerned only with how an action will serve them and those like them. They will take shortcuts as long as it benefits them. The only morality these leaders follow is that which gives them an advantage over others. Eventually, such leaders cause harm to all of us, and we all suffer. As a result, under their leadership, the people groan.

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Proverbs 30