Elections are very much in the news at the moment.? We are of course counting down to our own General Election later in the year, and watching the various parties and politicians manoeuvring to get themselves into the best position to have success.? At the same time, many of us have been fascinated by the battle for the Democratic nomination for the Presidency of the United States, and we wait now to see who will be appointed to what is often referred to as “the most powerful position in the world”.? It’s also been interesting to see the outcome of the recent Australian election, and what has happened following that.? And of course, the elections in Zimbabwe, and their aftermath, have gained worldwide attention.??

It’s easy to become pretty cynical about elections, and about?politics in general, even though we know?that our right to vote is a privilege, and that democracy is probably the best form of government there is.? For me, I guess the cynicism arises out of the underlying question of whether it is possible today?to reach the top in the political arena without to some extent “selling your soul” in order to get there.? As I look towards our own election, and the presidential election in the U.S. (the outcome of which will certainly impact the whole world), I hope and pray for people of genuine integrity to be placed in positions of authority – integrity that is strong enough to survive the political process and environment.