She obeys no one, she accepts no correction. She does not trust in the LORD, she does not draw near to her God. – Zephaniah 3:2

Today's Scripture Reading (March 25, 2020): Zephaniah 3

Lord Acton was a historian and moralist who might be best remembered for arguing that "Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Great men are almost always bad men." The opinion was expressed in a letter that he wrote to Bishop Mandell Creighton in 1887. Acton was impressed by the experiment being conducted in the United States in which Acton saw an attempt to balance of powers so that no one was able to rule absolutely. It was because of this belief that Acton sided with the Confederate movement during the American Civil War. He firmly believed that each state should have the power to confront and correct the federal government as they saw fit. Absolute power was something to be avoided in every circumstance because, even if the cause was right, it could never lead to morality.

The real problem with power is that it minimizes the ability for those who possess it to submit to correction. Great men are not born bad, but, as they grow in power, their errors can no longer be identified and amended. As a result, and as the failures mount, they become "bad men." Our reality is that we see this played out in the political drama that surrounds us. The politically powerful often seem to spend more time consolidating power than they do in governing. And that is a severe problem.

And a problem of which Zephaniah was well aware. As he looked at the city of Jerusalem, he saw a great city on a hill. He argues that the people of the city had learned to trust in themselves and their defenses more than they trusted in God. The lesson learned through Hezekiah's experience with the Assyrian Empire had vanished with unbelievable speed. Only four generations had passed since the Assyrians had laid siege to the city, and the people had already forgotten the lesson learned there.

But magnifying the problem was that Jerusalem would no longer accept correction. The people of the city looked down on everyone else, and because the city refused to listen to criticism, the good city was quickly becoming a bad one. And what was maybe worse was that the people of Jerusalem didn't even realize that it was happening.

Correction is essential for anyone who believes in moral actions. If we are beyond criticism, if we are unwilling to listen to those who humbly offer us correction, then we cannot be ethical. Zephaniah and Lord Acton would seem to agree. Great people are almost always bad people. And morality must start with a humility that acknowledges the errors that we make in life, and strives to correct them.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Jeremiah 1