Toby Holley LMHC of Professional Christian Counseling
As a Christian counselor with 25 years of experience, I have seen firsthand the importance of practicing love and wisdom in creating stable and healthy families and local communities. If this practice works on a macro level as in at home, isn’t it reasonable to assume it will work on a macro level such as in our society? Jesus’s teachings in Mark 12:30-31 NIV provide a powerful foundation for achieving this stability and are critical for avoiding the cycle of decline described by Aristotle in his model of government illustrated in his work Publica.
Aristotle believed that all governments are prone to decline, and described a cycle of decline that begins with monarchy, and then moves to tyranny, aristocracy, oligarchy, democracy, and finally anarchy. This cycle occurs when those in power lack the necessary wisdom and love to govern justly and effectively, and leads to the downfall of the government and the society it governs.
However, Jesus’s teachings in Mark 12:30-31 NIV offer a powerful antidote to this cycle of decline. By emphasizing the importance of loving God and loving our neighbors as ourselves, Jesus provides a foundation for creating a society that is grounded in love, wisdom, and justice. This foundation ensures that those in power are motivated by love and compassion, rather than selfishness and greed, and that they are committed to governing in a way that benefits all members of society, not just the wealthy or powerful.
Moreover, Jesus’s teachings also offer a powerful critique of the specific forms of government that Aristotle describes. For example, Jesus’s emphasis on loving our neighbors as ourselves challenges the aristocratic assumption that some people are inherently superior to others, and deserve to hold positions of power and privilege. Similarly, Jesus’s teachings on love and compassion challenge the oligarchic assumption that some people are inherently more deserving of power and wealth than others.
By emphasizing the importance of love and wisdom in creating stable and healthy societies, Jesus’s teachings in Mark 12:30-31 NIV offer a powerful critique of the cycle of decline described by Aristotle. They provide a foundation for creating a society that is grounded in love, justice, and compassion, and that is capable of avoiding the pitfalls of tyranny, oligarchy, and anarchy. As a Christian counselor, I have seen firsthand the power of these teachings in helping individuals, families, and communities to thrive, and I believe that they offer a powerful vision for creating a more just and equitable world for all.