Judah’s leaders are like those who move boundary stones. I will pour out my wrath on them like a flood of water.    – Hosea 5:10

Many states have recently discussed the prospect of redistricting. Of course, that process always stirs up disagreements about how those lines should be drawn. Some maps end up fairly neat and balanced; others look like an unusual jigsaw puzzle with districts that look less than natural. When those strange districts seem to favor the party that approved them, they can be accused of “Gerrymandering.”

The term “Gerrymandering” originated in 1812 when the Governor of Massachusetts, Elbridge Gerry (pronounced with a hard “g” sound, like Gary), signed a bill approving the map, drawn by the court, that appeared to protect his party in the upcoming elections. Even though he didn’t like the bill, under pressure, he signed it anyway.  In response, a political cartoonist drew a map with the questionable district made to look like a salamander, and the Gerrymander was born.

Now the Bible doesn’t say anything directly about drawing maps in your favor, but seven times in the Old Testament there are warnings about moving ancient boundary stones in order to steal your neighbor’s land and property. In Hosea’s warning above, he wasn’t accusing them of that particular action, but the phrase described those who woefully lack integrity. These corrupt leaders were only concerned about enriching themselves, even if it hurt the people. The best leaders are those who are trustworthy and serve with integrity.

Integrity is vital in every step to ensure fair elections. Gerrymandering is not the only trick used to gain an advantage. There are ongoing attempts to manipulate census data, campaign financing, and even elections themselves – including primaries. Parties often give their favorite candidates a helping hand or outright interfere when the plan goes awry.

At July’s DFL (Democratic-Farmer-Labor) city convention in Minneapolis, Omar Fateh received the DFL endorsement for mayor. However, the DFL has now revoked his nomination because of irregularities and errors in the voting process. Current Minneapolis Mayor, Jacob Frey-DFL, called the convention “rife with errors and misconduct.” Sadly, no one in Minnesota is even shocked by the accusation of election fraud, or fraud in general as it seems there is a new story every day. Integrity has been severely compromised over these examples of “moving the boundary stones.”

Living with integrity is difficult, because we are all tempted to nudge the boundaries a little in our favor. And once integrity is lost, it is not easily regained. Just ask poor Elbridge Gerry. Before he was governor, he played a very important role in the framing of our Constitution. And after, he went on to serve as our nation’s fifth Vice-President until he died in office. John Adams once wrote, “If every Man here was a Gerry, the Liberties of America would be safe against the Gates of Earth and Hell.” No one ever could have guessed that he would mostly be remembered for approving a questionable map.