When a ship moves through water, waves and turbulence fanning out from each side of the back of the ship are called its "wake." A large ship moving forward displaces great volumes of water, creating a potentially dangerous wake that could damage or even capsize a smaller boat nearby.

Sadly, history books are filled with descriptions of ordinary men and women who were "caught in the wake" of leaders motivated by greed, arrogance and, above all, self-preservation.

Zimbabwe

In the past year concerned observers the world over have been appalled to witness the unfolding of just such a desperate scene in the nation of Zimbabwe. Its people have been terrorized in the wake of the shameless conduct of President Robert Mugabe. He rose to power under the presumed promise of liberty and prosperity that accompanied postcolonial independence. Tragically, his rule has shamed the cause of freedom and become a symbol of tyranny and despotism.

Mr. Mugabe took the reins of government as prime minister in the newly named Zimbabwe in 1980. It had existed formerly under the names Southern Rhodesia, Republic of Rhodesia and Zimbabwe-Rhodesia. From that beginning until as recently as 1994 when he was granted knighthood by Great Britain, he was "one of Africa's brightest postcolonial hopes" ("A Brief History of: Robert Mugabe," Time, July 7, 2008).

Only God

Those hopes have been dashed. And that badly understates the misery of current conditions. Time described the current situation in Zimbabwe: "Inflation has soared past 100,000% [now in the millions of percent!]; as many as 8 in 10 are unemployed; and in the lead-up to a June 27 runoff election, Mugabe loyalists violently attacked opposition figures, while the 84-year-old President vowed that 'only God' could remove him from power."

The Economist magazine bluntly described the awful bloodshed: "It is hard to believe that the horrors inflicted by Zimbabwe's ruler on his own people could get worse… The burning to death of a six-year-old boy because his father is an opposition politician, and the butchering of the young wife of the capital's new opposition mayor, are part of a growing wave of violence …" ("How to Get Him Out," June 28, 2008). Many thousands have suffered the brutality that his dictatorial regime has inflicted.

Zimbabwe suffers because

What can we learn from the dreadful toll of this tragic failure to properly exercise the great responsibilities of leadership? President Mugabe's rule proves the proverb: "When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice; but when a wicked man rules, the people groan" (Proverbs 29:2).

The Bible clearly shows that a leader's true success depends on righteous conduct. Cruel, repressive and corrupt tactics are unsustainable in the long term. Eventually, Mr. Mugabe will reap what he has sown.

God's kind of leadership

One example of the priceless instructions for anyone in a position of authority is: "Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves; defend the rights of all those who have nothing. Speak up and judge fairly, and defend the rights of the poor and needy" (Proverbs 31:8-9, New Century Version).

For more leadership insight, check out "A New Look at Leadership."

Unhappily, the impact of Zimbabwe's leader on his people is best depicted by the image of a powerless small boat "caught in the wake" of a much larger ship. But that will not last forever. The president's pledge that "only God" can remove him from power is astonishingly arrogant and foolish—although prophetic. VT