Justin Welby has used his first Easter sermon as archbishop of Canterbury to warn of the dangers of investing too much faith in frail and fallible human leaders, be they politicians or priests. Blind belief in the power of the individual to bring about true change in any sphere, he said, was simplistic and wrong, and led inevitably to disillusionment and disappointment. In a lengthy broadside against what he termed the "hero leader culture" – with its automatic expectations of quick, easy and gratifying solutions to even the most intractable problems – Welby said that only by acknowledging God and trusting in his power could human beings escape "cynical despair" and fear. "Human fallibility recognised, God's sovereignty trusted; these are also the only stable foundations for human beings in society," he said. "Setting people or institutions up to heights where they cannot but fail is mere cruelty."

Pray: for us all, including our leaders, to heed God's call and place our trust in His ways. (Ps.119:60)

More: http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2013/mar/31/archbishop-justin-welby-warns-against-trusting-leaders