PAY TO PLAY

Philly is notorious for having a political climate that is all about "pay to play." If you kowtow to the powers that be, you get what you want; and if you refuse to play that game, you get mysteriously ostracized. I can't share too many details, but I recently had a conversation with a colleague of mine who I respect and admire a great deal. He has lived in Philadelphia all his life, and has served the city in many ways: as a Christian, a professional, and a political activist.

It is all the more discouraging to me, then, to see him burned out on Philly politics. I know he is the kind of person who does what is right, no matter what the personal consequences. And those consequences, lately, have been steep: for refusing to kowtow, he has been systematically and decisively excluded from business opportunities he rightly deserves. And while he maintains he prefers to be a person of integrity even though it costs him financially and professionally, still I can hear the weariness in his voice.

I despair sometimes, for if the entrenched injustice has exasperated someone like my friend who is far more righteous and intelligent than I, what hope do I have that my labors will make a difference? When I grow weary like this, I call to mind Paul's exhortation to the Romans: "Don't be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good." Today, I pray this for myself and for my friend; and I pray a prayer for Philadelphia, and all cities, that they would not be overcome by evil but by good.