As statesmen and software fail, who's in charge?

Woe to the shepherds who mislead and scatter the flock of my pasture ... I will appoint shepherds for them who will shepherd them so that they need no longer fear and tremble, and none shall be missing, says the Lord. I will raise up a righteous shoot to David; as king he shall reign and govern wisely; he shall do what is just and right in the land. In his days Judah shall be saved, Israel shall dwell in security. This is the name they give him: "The Lord our justice." – The Book of Jeremiah, 23:1, 4–6

WITH national leaders and computer systems in turmoil across the globe last week, the Mass readings for the 16th Sunday in Ordinary Time, all about seeking righteous shepherds for ancient Israel, may well apply to our world today. Indeed, we must guard against the pernicious shepherds cited in the first Mass reading, quoted above, and seek good shepherds extolled in all the July 21 Scripture passages.