So They Do Not Need You

More than twenty years ago a friend of mine remarked at an occasion: The work of church ministers should lead to people not being in need of them. What I believe he wanted to say was too often the ministers worked so people were dependent on them. His remark has been my companion ever since.

I think the idea is valid in the broader sense. Parents should raise their children so the children don’t need them. So they are independent, can take care of themselves, and even of others. That’s a sign of maturity. Teachers should teach their students so the students do not need them any more. Not because they know everything and do not need to learn anything, but because they can learn by themselves. And perhaps they are even able to teach others.

Should this attitude be applicable in the case of a nation and its government too? Should any government work hard helping its citizens to be independent people no relying on it, but being able to support others? Unfortunately the opposite is happening and now, during the Covid-19 crisis, it is so visible. Too many members of many governments enjoy that feeling that people are dependent on them, that people expect governments would take care of them.

I remembered my friend’s remark.

Pred viac než dvadsiatimi rokmi jeden môj priateľ pri istej príležitosti poznamenal: Farári by sa mali snažiť, aby ich ľudia nepotrebovali. Vlastne chcel povedať, že farári sa príliš často snažia ľudí na seba naviazať. Táto jeho poznámka ma odvtedy sprevádza životom.

Myslím si totiž, že je platná v oveľa širšom kontexte. Rodičia by mali vychovávať svoje deti tak, aby ich deti nepotrebovali. Aby boli nezávislé, aby sa dokázali postarať o seba a dokonca aj o iných. To sú znaky zrelosti. Učitelia by mali svojich žiakov učiť tak, aby ich žiaci už viac nepotrebovali. Nie preto, že by vedeli všetko, alebo sa už nič nepotrebovali učiť, ale preto, lebo sa už dokážu učiť sami. A možno dokonca dokážu učiť aj niekoho iného.

Dá sa tento postoj použiť aj vo vzťahu medzi národom a jeho vládou? Mala by sa každá vláda usilovať, aby občania jej krajiny boli ľudia od nej nezávislí, ľudia, ktorí si vedia navzájom pomôcť? Nanešťastie opak je väčšinou pravdou a práve teraz, v čase krízy Covid-19, je to jasne viditeľné. Príliš veľa členov vlád si užíva ten pocit, že ľudia k nim vzhliadajú, že očakávajú, že sa o nich vláda postará.

Spomínam na poznámku môjho priateľa.