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First
Reading
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Psalm |
Epistle |
Gospel |
Wisdom of Solomon 1:16–2:1 |
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James 3:13–4:3, 7–8a |
Mark 9:30–37
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It is quite easy to slip into a very comfortable, but narrow practice of leadership that measures success in terms of the ability to impose one's power on others. It may be a subtle power of persuasion more than the raw power of intimidation, but it is still the imposition of power over another nonetheless. We may prefer to talk about our ability to negotiate, but we all know those who brag about having the skills to negotiate over just about anything, and get their own way. They are like card sharks that invite naive amateurs to a "supposedly" friendly game of poker.
It was perfectly understandable to learn that the disciples argued over who was the most influential around them and that they jockeyed power. Most of us, even as people of faith and followers of Jesus, do it, too.
The disciples knew that Jesus' rebuke of them was fair and deserved. They knew full well that Jesus defined leadership in terms of being a midwife of larger good for humanity, of lifting people up to see broader horizons and establishing deeper connections among them. The disciples understood that Jesus rejected any sort of leadership as getting and imposing one's own way. The problem was and ever has been in practicing it and resisting the temptation to slip into easy, but harmful ways.
I don't presume to offer a definitive observation of what should be taught about leadership in the best business schools of the country, but it seems to me that people of faith may always rightfully ask what type of leadership may be harming the world, and what type of leadership contributes in some way, be it large or small, to the healing of the nations and the repair of the world?
This past week, NBC News ran a story about a dad who was a long-suffering Philadelphia Philly's fan who finally caught a foul ball in front of a televised game. People in the stadium clapped and cheered, as he turned to his small daughter and handed her the ball. Upon being given the ball, the child looked at it for three seconds and then immediately threw the ball back on the field. I suppose the father could have grimaced in frustration or anger, or screamed to someone on the field to throw him back the ball, but the dad just laughed and gave his daughter a big hug. That's the moment in time that his daughter will remember for the rest of her life. For the dad, his daughter was way more important than any baseball, however long he had waited to catch one. Might that not be a good model of leadership?
When Jesus was frustrated by the continued lack of understanding of his disciples, he could not have gone out to see a ballgame. I would never claim that if there were major league baseball at the time of Jesus, that Jesus would be a Philly's fan, even though I'm told that there may be a fair amount of suffering that such fans have to endure. But I would observe that more than once when Jesus got frustrated with the disciples lack of understanding of what leadership and discipleship in God's new commonwealth were all about, Jesus would pick up and hug a child. In one sense if you seek something more than a contrived photo op illusion and are actually going to kneel down and pick up and hold a child, you're going to have to let go of whatever bags of pretense you are carrying in your arms.1 If you are just focused on entering and being a leader in the rat race the world quite often promotes, children will only hold you down.
"Who is wise and understanding among you? Show by your good life that your good works are done with gentleness born of wisdom. But if you have bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not be boastful and false to the truth. ...A harvest of righteousness is sown in peace for those who make peace." So wrote James to members of an early second century Christian community. Sometimes even incidents at ball games and on the evening news really do mirror the parables and teachings of Jesus.
1Cf. "Reflections on the Lectionary" by Glenn Mitchell, in The Christian Century, Sept. 8, 2009
And I offer this to you in the name of the Living God, Amen.
