I have never studied politics but, as a complete amateur, I ask myself questions.
What if, prior to each election, the parties published measurable goals and prior to the next election were accountable for them?
There would be many goals but let’s consider one: the number of murders each year — a stark indicator of the health of our society.
The police reported 17 murders in 1972 and (provisionally) 75 murders in 2022. What if our goal was getting back to the 1972 figure (which is still horrific)?
To reach the goal, the government would have to ask what motivates people to kill? How come people are OK with killing?
What is wrong with our society? How might we disincentivise murder?
For each answer, we might have to ask more questions to drill deeper.
If we want not just a healthy economy but a healthy society, how can we change behaviours?
Going deeper, what lies behind our behaviours and how do we change that? What shapes people’s beliefs, motivations, priorities, values and ethics?
My suspicion is that, if we were open to it, we would conclude that, as a society, we need Jesus.
I know what you are thinking. Christians have modelled some of the worst behaviours: abuse in faith-based institutions, sexual immorality among leaders, greed and financial exploitation, unloving attitudes, self-righteousness, the Crusades.
You are right. There have been way too many examples of terrible things committed by so-called Christians.
For many people today, Christianity does not look like the obvious answer to our society’s ills. It looks like part of the problem.
I could remind us of all the good that is done by Christians — health and education initiatives, provision for the marginalised, the sacrifices, the lives changed, and the individuals who have been exemplary, but it remains true that Christianity has been let down by bad actors.
Christianity has been let down. In other words, there is Christianity itself (the beliefs and behaviours we see in Jesus) and there is something else — a distorted, so-called "Christianity".
Christians should be modelling the former, and often are, but too often the distorted version, which isn’t actually Christianity at all, is what is seen.
Christians must own that. We have often failed.
Recognising that and putting it to one side for the moment, would the Christianity seen in Jesus be the answer to our societal ills? I believe it is the only answer.
Put very simply, if people were following Jesus there would be zero murders. There is no way a genuine follower of Jesus would kill another person.
There are multiple reasons for that. Followers of Jesus follow Jesus’ example, including the commandment "You shall not murder".
The Bible teaches we are made in the image of God and have inherent value; life and death are God’s prerogative, not ours. Jesus taught us to love, including loving our enemies. He taught, and modelled, forgiveness.
Jesus repeatedly points out that money (the reason for some murders) is a false god and not worth pursuing.
Most murders reflect selfish motives. Jesus taught His followers to deny themselves and serve others. Accepting these teachings would clearly reduce the number of murders to zero.
That is all very well, but how do you change human nature? It is one thing to have fine teaching, but people are still often selfishly motivated. Consistently we have proved ourselves incapable.
In my experience, Jesus is the only real answer. Our essential nature is not changed through legislation, willpower, or even therapy.
That deep, fundamental change of human nature happens not naturally but supernaturally. Only God can change the human heart.
Humankind has spent millennia philosophising about the solutions. Politicians and social scientists and armchair experts have developed theories and instituted programmes, then scrapped them and tried something else.
And we are still in the same position. In fact, it feels as if it is getting worse.
Despite all the evidence, we continue to think we will solve this by ourselves. The longer we shut Jesus out, the worse it gets.
I do not expect you to necessarily agree but are we willing to even ask the questions? Are we open to the possibility that the answer actually is Jesus? Or is that off the table?
Could a government reduce the annual number of murders in New Zealand to the 1972 level, without acknowledging that we need Jesus?
Is there an alternative political strategy for changing human nature?
■Peter Cheyne is a retired Presbyterian minister currently on the team at East Taieri Church.
