WHY GOVERNMENT SCHOOL

Tomorrow I begin grad school, albeit part-time. A law school friend of mine whose Christian faith and personal integrity I respect recommended that prior to diving into the arena of grad school, I ought to have some sense of what I hope to get out of the experience. And so, briefly, here are my three reasons for going to government school:

1. To be trained in how government works and how stuff gets done in government.

2. To define the intersection between my moral principles and my political views; between what I think is just to do, when government can be used a vehicle to such ends, and when government needs to get out of the way in order for such ends to be achieved.

3. To meet people who will become my role models, mentors, partners, both politically and vocationally.

Many of my heritage and my generation find politics to be too sleazy, too gritty, or too impotent. I harbor these reservations, too. But there is another part of me that is hopeful, even expectant, that there is a place in government for smart and good-hearted people to make a difference for people, for systems, and for the Kingdom of God. By God’s grace, there I go.