You wait for one election and then 2024 comes along and it appears half the planet is having a go at them. This year has seen the UK have a general election, several in continental Europe and in the next week or so the US will be deciding who will be running the last great superpower. We are seeing a change in leadership across the globe. For some it will come as welcome change, but for others it can bring about fear and uncertainty. We all have our ideal leadership role model but O wonder if we have ever stopped to reflect on the kind of leader we might be and what does this mean for us as leaders who profess to be Christians?
Firstly, I suggest, be loving; the divine command is ‘love one another as I have loved you’. Jesus gives us this clear blueprint for leadership. To be loving is to be missional. People who feel loved, feel safe and included. However, to be loving is not always to agree with everything and say anything goes. In the same way we talk of God the father or Mother, it can mean saying no, speaking truth to power, calling out inequalities in society, just as a parent guides their child. It also means creating a Church as the body of Christ where we encourage people to encounter Christ and develop their talents to grow God’s Kingdom here on earth. As it says in the book of Proverbs ‘Without wise leadership, a nation is in trouble; but with good counsellors there is safety.’
Secondly, as Christians we are all called to be servants of God. And it is through this service that we lead others. As Christians we cannot sit, apart from the world with the limit of our witness being the front door of the church building. In the New Testament the image of the Good Shepherd shows us how He serves his flock by taking care of them, showing them the way, protecting them, showing love. Jesus wants James and John to share in baptism, share in the eucharist and be an active part of God’s kingdom here on earth and by doing that they will grow that kingdom and grow their mission.
So, what does that mean for me as a Christian? I believe Christian leadership is about servanthood and mission. This can be seen as two sides of the same coin. We need to create places of welcome, hospitality and safety where people could thrive by me placing Jesus’ teaching of love at the centre of our leadership.
Blessings,
Father Doug
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