Dennis Minott | Gulping down elephants yet filtering out sandflies

Jamaica’s political landscape today reveals a concerning trend of deflection and hypocrisy. The public discourse surrounding certain national leaders underscores an uncomfortable truth: supporters prioritise protecting reputations over addressing the ethical dilemmas that require attention.

This behaviour echoes the rebuke Jesus Christ delivered to the Pharisees in Matthew 23, where He criticised them for fixating on trivial details while neglecting more significant moral failures. In this chapter, Jesus uses the metaphor of “straining out gnats while swallowing camels”, which aptly applies to contemporary political manoeuvring.

HYPOCRISY AND OBSESSION WITH APPEARANCES

In Matthew 23:24, Jesus admonishes the Pharisees: “You blind guides! You strain out a gnat but swallow a camel.” His critique highlights their preoccupation with minor religious rituals at the expense of essential values like justice, mercy, and faithfulness. Their misplaced priorities allowed them to appear outwardly righteous while failing to confront deeper moral obligations.

This dynamic closely mirrors the situation in Jamaica today, where some leaders and their supporters seem more invested in crafting their public personas than in tackling crucial ethical issues. Similar to the Pharisees, they project an image of righteousness while neglecting the urgent need for accountability and transparency. It is as if they are gulping down elephants – the vast challenges of governance and ethics – while straining out sandflies, which serve as trivial distractions from the truth.

The consequences of this obsession with image are severe. The public is acutely aware when leaders choose appearance over integrity. In political hypocrisy, as in religious hypocrisy, this leads to a betrayal of trust. For the Pharisees, it was about maintaining a pious façade while ignoring justice’s moral weight. Today, some leaders prioritise an air of respectability even as pressing governance issues remain unaddressed.

PUBLIC IMAGE OVER TRUE INTEGRITY

Jesus further states in Matthew 23:28: “You also outwardly appear righteous to others, but within you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.” This timeless critique of the Pharisees’ fixation on public perception resonates strongly in today’s political climate.

In Jamaica, political supporters often emphasise maintaining a credible appearance despite lingering ethical concerns. The energy spent on public relations frequently overshadows the pressing need for transparency and honesty. By filtering out minor criticisms – “sandflies”– they neglect to confront the significant “elephants” of unresolved ethical dilemmas.

This approach undermines integrity and erodes public trust. An obsession with appearance devoid of ethical accountability cannot serve as a sustainable foundation for leadership. Just as the Pharisees could not uphold their reputations amid moral decay, leaders today will face long-term repercussions if they fail to adhere to principles of justice and fairness.

DEFLECTION AND ETHICAL EVASION

A defining characteristic of this political hypocrisy is deflection. Instead of confronting substantial ethical questions, some leaders focus on defending their reputations. This tactic mirrors that of the Pharisees, who Jesus criticised for tithing minor herbs while neglecting “the more important matters of the law – justice, mercy, and faithfulness” (Matthew 23:23).

This pattern is evident in contemporary politics. By diverting attention to lesser concerns or technicalities, leaders avoid uncomfortable ethical inquiries that demand resolution. While this short-term strategy may temporarily shield reputations, it allows deeper issues to fester. The longer such evasiveness persists, the greater the damage it inflicts on Jamaica’s governance integrity.

EROSION OF PUBLIC TRUST

The ramifications of this hypocrisy are profound. Just as the Pharisees lost credibility due to their internal corruption, political leaders who prioritise appearances over substance risk diminishing public faith in governance. Jamaica, already facing a trust deficit exacerbated by past scandals, cannot afford to let this behaviour continue unchecked.

When public figures fail to embody integrity, cynicism and disillusionment grow among citizens. This erosion of trust in leadership has serious implications not only for political institutions but also for society’s overall fabric. The Pharisees’ ultimate loss of credibility serves as a stark warning: a focus on image without substance cannot endure over time.

The parallels between the Pharisees in Matthew 23 and Jamaica’s current political climate are striking. Both illustrate an obsession with outward appearances while neglecting more significant moral issues. Leaders and their defenders today mirror the Pharisees by straining out minor concerns while gulping down substantial ethical failures.

Authentic leadership transcends mere image management. It demands a commitment to transparency, accountability, and confronting uncomfortable truths. Absent these values, no amount of public relations can restore trust or ensure the integrity of Jamaica’s democratic institutions. The critical question remains: will Jamaica’s leaders continue filtering out sandflies while ignoring elephants, or will they confront their ethical challenges head-on?

Dennis Minott, PhD, is the CEO of A-QuEST-FAIR. He is a multilingual green resources specialist, a research physicist, and a modest mathematician who worked in the oil and energy sector. Send feedback to a_quest57@yahoo.com or columns@gleanerjm.com