by Rabbi Elie Mischel
Los Angeles is burning. The most devastating wildfire in American history rages through the heart of America’s second-largest city, reducing entire neighborhoods to ash. Hundreds of thousands have fled their homes. Ancient redwoods and modern mansions alike have crumbled into cinders.
Governor Gavin Newsom won’t take responsibility. At press conferences, he blames climate change, utility companies, and federal forest management policies. He rattles off statistics about drought conditions and wind patterns. When pressed about the state’s failure to conduct prescribed burns that might have prevented this catastrophe, he points to decade-old policies. Los Angeles Fire Chief Kristin Crowley follows his lead. Despite her department’s delayed response times and communications failures that left entire communities without warning, she blames aging infrastructure, resource limitations, and “unprecedented conditions.” Neither leader has uttered the words their constituents desperately need to hear: “I accept responsibility for these failures.”
The Bible teaches us about another leader who refused to take responsibility. The story of King Saul’s fall from grace exposes everything wrong with today’s political blame game.
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