Scene: A politician in an office trying to claim credit for a policy they had nothing to do with
James Cathcart
September 02, 2025
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Listen to this daily worship
Proverbs 25: 6-7a (NIVUK)
6
Do not exalt yourself in the king’s presence,
and do not claim a place among his great men;7a
it is better for him to say to you, ‘Come up here,’
than for him to humiliate you before his nobles.
The camera pans up to show a grey man in a grey suit dictating an email:
“Our policy initiative was an incredible success and I must state upfront, that this was one hundo percent a TEAM EFFORT. Nobody individually deserves credit for this more than anyone else, and that’s credit to me really. I don’t put myself above my department, I never single myself out for special treatment and that’s what makes me so unique and unlike all of my other colleagues.
I’m not one to get caught up with words like ‘legacy’, ‘seminal’, or ‘single-handed.’ It’s not down to me for instance to say ‘Blah blah his department delivered all manifesto commitments within 100 days with 75% approval rate in the polls blah blah blah…’ that’s not my job. It’s not up to me to say that, so I won’t be saying it.
Now if there was an opening for a senior cabinet position I would not be putting myself forward, it would be a wrench to leave my team when we have achieved so much together. Even if they were to say ‘Go Malcolm!’ or “Please leave, sooner the better.’ Or ‘Malcolm, we sincerely wish you to leave right now.’
I just couldn’t do it to them. A commander does not leave their troops mid fight, it’s not proper.
Yes, some are saying I may have a higher calling and to that end they’d like to strap me to a rocket and fire me into space to see if I could find it. As one of my most valued colleagues has said to me on more than one occasion: “Malcolm, I’d personally like to punch you into orbit.”
But no I will not be throwing my hat in the ring.
Of course if I should be wrong about this, and I’m always first to admit when I’m wrong, I’ll put my hand up. I’m a big enough man to accept when I’m wrong and I would shoulder a promotion to a senior cabinet position, if it were in the best interest of the country.
But, yeah, just to make that crystal clear Jennifer, I would say “Yes.” Zero hesitation. You can reach me anytime.
Yours, a fellow servant of this country,
Malcolm Upabit.”
Prayer:
Dear God,
Forgive us the contortions we go through
to try and appear great before others
rather than recognising the greatness already within us
given us by you.
Amen.
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