The gardener’s plea

The readings for this Third Sunday of Lent (Year C) offer profound insights into the ever-critical issue of leadership—insights that speak directly to both our own national governance and the broader international stage.

In Exodus (the First Reading), we encounter the figure of Moses standing before the burning bush. This divine encounter transforms a lowly shepherd into a national leader through a critical revelation: “I have seen the miserable state of my people in Egypt. I have heard their appeal to be free of their slave-drivers.”

This moment establishes a fundamental truth: authentic leadership begins with seeing and hearing the suffering of the people.

As Trinidad and Tobago transitions under newly appointed Prime Minister Stuart Young, this principle is particularly relevant. Effective governance requires leaders who genuinely recognise the challenges citizens face—crime, economic hardship, social division, and institutional weakness, to name a few.

Leaders must remain connected to the lived realities of those they serve rather than isolating themselves in corridors of power.

God’s self-revelation as “I Am who I Am” further reminds leaders that their authority derives from something greater than themselves. In a world where leaders often conflate personal interest with national interest, this humility remains essential.

The Second Reading cautions against leadership complacency. Paul reminds the Corinthians that despite divine guidance and provision, “most of them failed to please God and their corpses littered the desert.” His warning—“The man who thinks he is safe must be careful that he does not fall”—speaks directly to leaders who grow comfortable in power. And we all know that well-known saying about power and its propensity to corrupt.

Trinidad and Tobago’s abundant natural resources and cultural richness have been, in a sense, our cloud and pillar of fire, leading the way, yet we have often failed to translate these blessings into widespread prosperity and justice.

The history of leadership reveals how easily early promises and achievements can give way to corruption and self-interest.

This warning then is particularly relevant in our age of democratic fragility, when institutions that once seemed unshakable now appear vulnerable.

Produce fruit

Jesus’ parable of the fig tree in the Gospel (Lk 3:1-9) offers perhaps the most direct challenge to leadership. After three fruitless years, the owner is ready to cut down the barren tree. The gardener pleads, not for five more years, but one more year—one more chance to nurture it toward productivity.

This parable speaks to leadership accountability. Nations invest considerable resources in their leaders, providing them authority, platform, and opportunity. The expectation is clear: produce fruit that benefits those you serve.

Trinidad and Tobago has been blessed with resources, talent, and opportunity, yet in many ways remains a fig tree that has seemingly failed to bear the expected fruit of prosperity, safety, and justice for all its citizens. Prime Minister Young, our nation’s eighth prime minister, inherits this fig tree at a critical moment.

Yet the parable also speaks to patience and possibility. The gardener’s plea reminds us that transformative leadership requires both accountability and reasonable opportunity.

Will our new leadership implement the difficult but necessary reforms—the digging and fertilising—that might yet allow our nation to bear fruit?

But more importantly, the Gospel makes clear that repentance is not just for leadership but for all citizens. Jesus’ warning that “unless you repent you will all perish” calls each of us to examine our own contributions to national challenges.

In a time when cynicism about leadership abounds, the scriptures are a timely reminder to us of leadership’s highest purpose: not self-perpetuation but service that bears fruit for the common good.