Andrew Cuomo, The Fall of the Mighty

 The former (or is it, "soon to be former"?) governor of New York is not on my favorites list.

1. He is pro-abortion.
2. He has taken steps to undermine the sanctity of marriage as defined in Scripture.
3. He is widely reputed to be a strong-armed bully. This, no doubt, has some to do with his recent fall from power.
4. He has been, until he was recently abandoned by his former allies, a part of a political system that is taking America in a direction I don't like.

You would think I would rejoice at his fall from power. Don't bake a cake yet.

There are all sorts of self-satisfying observations that could be made, from a number of different perspectives.

• No doubt some will take pleasure in knowing that a powerful man, accused of taking advantage of women is now being replaced by a woman. Kathy Hochul will be New York's first female chief executive. I pray that she will lead the State of New York well.
• Cuomo tried to make the scandal go away. His arm that had proven strong enough to stiff-arm his way past previous attacks wasn't up to this task. No doubt, many black-eyed opponents of former conflicts are raising a glass to the powerful guy finally getting what's coming to him.
• Philosophically some purveyors of wisdom-to-live-by feel vindicated. When you use people as stepping stones on the way up, you can't expect them to hold out a hand to you when you are on your way down

In the end, one of the most powerful men in America found himself defenseless and friendless. Out of all the sins available to a man like the governor of one of the most powerful states in the union, Andrew Cuomo was accused, tried in the court of public opinion, and convicted by an unofficial jury (whom I'm confident the former chief exec would regard as not anywhere close to being his peers), of the crime, for which the current zeitgeist affords no defense.

To the list above you would expect that I would take pleasure in Cuomo's eviction from the Executive Mansion (Even the eviction moratorium that Cuomo signed is no help.). Though I'm tempted to let loose with a "Yippee!" I'm resisting. Two reasons:

1. First, I don't like lynchings. Perhaps I should say I do like some lynchings and that scares me. I realize that what happened to the former governor is not a court of law, but then again it kind-of, sort-of is, isn't it? For some in our culture when a certain accusation is made, the deal is as good as closed. I live in the South. We have an ugly history of taking justice into our own hands. In spite of his political positions, Cuomo perfectly fits the description of the kind of guy who always does what the former governor is accused of doing. To quote countless cowboy movies, "I've heard enough. String him up!" When that happens to someone in my tribe I feel the injustice. In cases like this where I could easily volunteer, "I've got a rope right here in the back of my truck," I need to extend the same caution.  Even if it isn't a real court, the accused deserves to have his day. 
2. I've been reading a book that reinforces some conclusions I have drawn and been drawing about our postmodern times when there is no longer a widely agreed-upon view of right and wrong. It is a time when each "tribe" contends for its own view. In the lynchings of the past, that I mentioned above, the main evidence was often the color of the accused skin. One was not judged as an individual but as a representative of their group. Comparing the current trend with the tradition, rooted in the Bible, that dominated in the West until recently, author, Scott David Allen, says, "This biblical idea created the West, and none of us can fully imagine the dystopia that would result if we discard it in favor of the dehumanizing idea that individuals don’t exist, and that people are reduced to mouthpieces, drones, or avatars of the groups that define them. In this fraught cultural moment, we need to emphasize what unites us, not what divides us."*
   We need to resist this way of thinking even when--no, "especially when"--this judgment based on what group a person is in results in a verdict that I find agreeable.

Lest someone is tempted to draw some wrong conclusions, let me state categorically:

• People of whatever gender, race, economic standard, etc. are creatures of God, bearers of His image. As such they deserve respect. If Mr. Cuomo is guilty of what he has been accused of he should suffer the just consequences. That same standard, however, applies to him. That same respect leads me to believe that Cuomo has a right to make his case.
• I am not denying or doubting that workplace abuse is a common and grievous issue. It is right that systems be put in place to give victims, and those who are easily victimized, the protection they deserve.
• I realize that those in positions of leadershp are held to a higher standard. In light of that higher standard, it may have been right for Mr. Cuomo to resign. Perhaps we can end on a note of agreement. For the State of New York and perhaps for our nation, at this time, this may have been the best, or "least worst," decision. 

Everywhere, let's follow the Apostle Paul's command, "First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way." (The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2016). (1 Ti 2:1–2). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles.)

*Allen, Scott D.. Why Social Justice Is Not Biblical Justice: An Urgent Appeal to Fellow Christians in a Time of Social Crisis (p. 66). Credo House Publishers. Kindle Edition.