The corrupting influence of power

Lin Yutang, the influential Chinese writer, noted that "when small men begin to cast big shadows, it means that the sun is about to set.” We know that great men cast big shadows and nations are blessed by the impact of their lives and the legacies they leave. But there are also small men who cast big shadows and society is left in shambles. History has a way of producing its fair share of Hitlers, Stalins, Pol Pots, and Kim Jongils and they all cast enormous shadows. As the sun goes down, millions are adversely affected by their reigns.
       There is no question but there are plenty of genuinely “big men” in this world, and by that I mean good men who are living out their days in a fair and honorable way. They pay their taxes, get along with their neighbors, work hard, raise good kids, contribute to charity, etc. Then why is it that "small men" (of the quotation) are so often the ones in charge? What is there about power that attracts? Christian theology teaches that man (and I uses the word genetically) is a creature made in God's image but flawed by disobedience. The result is universal narcissism. Power is the political aphrodisiac that all too often draws the unqualified into public office. Plato was right when he said, "One of the penalties for refusing to participate in politics is that you end up being governed by your inferiors?” What a nation needs in positions of leadership are good men able to resist the corrupting influence of power.
       We are all familiar with Lord Acton’s famous observation that “power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely,” but, upon reflection, it stops short of an adequate explanation of man’s deviant behavior. Jesus taught that people are corrupted by forces from within. Mark records him saying, “Nothing outside a person can defile,” but, “it is what comes out of a person that defiles them” (Mark 7:15).  While power provides the setting for corruption it is not responsible for the act. Evil acts come from within. When a person is elected to, or placed in, a position of significant authority, the opportunity for the corrupt heart to abuse it is there. While Lord Acton’s observation is true in a general sense it allows the shifting of blame from sinner to setting. If we are looking for reasons it is necessary to take this additional step.