Taking Jesus' parable of the Pharisee and the Publican from Luke 18, one finds a strong similarity between current GOP front runners Mitt Romney and Newt Gingrich.
Romney is a Pharisee. He has lived his life by the book (of Mormon). He is a religious man, he has never crossed the line or stepped out against his wife.
He has a model family. He has an impressive resume. He is certainly not like other people, certainly the hypocritical toad Newt Gingrich.
Romney represents the Law. He is a good man, but he does not have any heart. He says what the electorate wants to hear, but his heart is far from core conservative principles.
He "deserves" to win, in part because of his pedigree, not just for the wealth that he has amassed, but the solid yet skimpy following he has maintained for the past seven years. He has consistently turned off three quarters of the current GOP primary voters.
Like most Pharisees in Jesus' time, Romney justified his gross conflicts with free market and social conservatism by indicating his leadership in a left-wing nation. He does bring upon himself any wrongdoing. He has given immense sums to charity, he has invested massive amounts of wealth demonstrating his capacity to lead and be elected.
In stark contrast, there is Newt Gingrich, a serial philanderer who has taken money from government agencies, who has been rebuked openly for ethics violations. He is hot-tempered and self-willed. His resume is mixed, his past is checkered, and he has been thoroughly checked out and vetted by journalists and pundits alike.
He is an openly immoral man, having confessed at length his many failures, yet refuses to be condemned or dragged through the mud any further.
Like the Publican, he has cried out to God for mercy, that God would make an offering of propiation for his sins. He may not deserve the nomination, but he certainly wants it and has made a growing case that is convincing a public that was slow to accept the former disgraced House Speaker.
Will Gingrich represent the Grace that is greater than sacrifice, the faith that is greater than law, which only can justify a man. No matter how good Romney may be, he has not inspired anyone. He has the head but not the heart for the Presidency. Gingrich has heart, depsite a mercurial nature and a dissolute history.
Will Gringich be justified by the voting public, just as the Publican was justified by God? It is likely, and the case for his ascendancy is not so immoral or immodest. How many of us have fallen short of the glorious ideal? How many of us have failed to meet God's standard of excellence?? All. How many of us need redemption? All.
The question is, will Gingrich seek the propitiation in like manner as the Publican? Only time will tell.
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