A Layman’s Guide to Leadership

The Twenty-Ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time, B                               October 21, 2018
Fr. Albert                                                                                            St. Peter’s, New Iberia

“Whoever wishes to be great among you will be your servant; whoever wishes to be first among you will be the slave of all.” Jesus seems to be specifically talking to His Apostles, to the first priests and bishops. Yet, this is more than job description for leaders. It also reveals a fundamental principle of God’s kingdom, of what it means to be Christian. More than a rule, this is a worldview. Contrary to the opinion of some critics, Christianity does not neuter the human desire for greatness. This is not a command to stop wanting to be great. Rather, it is a radical reorientation of what it means to be great. It is the same paradox that runs clean throughout all of Christianity: we die in order to live, we suffer in order to find joy, we serve in order to lead, we humble ourselves in order to be great.

So, even for those who are not Church leaders – truly for each person who calls themselves Christian – this requires an evaluation of our worldview and a challenge to our assumptions. Do you really believe that you have to serve in order to be great, that the way to success is not power and skill and money, but humility and kindness and charity? Perhaps a quick litmus test of that is to reflect on the kind of daydreams you have. Do you fantasize about being super wealthy or having a lot of political power? Do you replay arguments or conflicts in your imagination, but dream up out scenarios where you beat down your opponent or humiliate them? When you imagine solving some great problem, do you imagine doing it through a sheer imposition of your own will, of finally being able to just make others do what you know they should?

If we’re honest, we all do these things. Ever since the first sin of Adam & Eve, we are naturally inclined to follow the laws of power, domination, and selfishness. But that is precisely what Christ has come to uproot. That is precisely the goal of grace that is given to us: to end a cycle of violence and vengeance, to counteract the instincts of pride, to short-circuit apathy and replace them with a radical form of love.

Here’s a way of phrasing the paradox: the most powerful thing ever done by the most powerful human being to ever exist is to be tortured and killed on a cross. If only we could learn to be ambitious about that! If only our daydreams would reflect an eagerness to be humble and unimportant. If only our fantasies would play out opportunities to turn the other cheek, to conquer our enemies not with force but through an unwavering patience and love of them even as they persecute us!

Of course, such things are possible. We see it in the saints who write about and live out their hopes for martyrdom, their eagerness for service. In our better moments – inspired by grace – we identify with and relate to these desires. The question is, will you strive to make this the norm, rather than an exception?

From there, we must recognize that there is a yet sharper challenge leveled specifically at those in positions of leadership. These words of Christ become a guide for us to know whom we can trust among our leaders. Now don’t get me wrong. Authority is a complicated reality and there will always situations in which we must follow and obey leaders whom we do not actually trust. At one point, even Jesus tells his Apostles to obey the chief priests, but not to follow their example. Still, there are those leaders who not only have legitimate authority, but whose lives and examples commend them to our trust; that we not only respect their office, but in a real sense trust our hearts and minds to them. Christ of course holds up himself – the Son of Man – as the prime example of authentic leadership.

And how does he describe that leadership? “the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve.” So, when it comes to leadership – your leadership or the leadership of another – this is what we hope to find. When you lead, do you think of the perks? Do you automatically look at the convenience your position offers? Or is your mind set on the mission entrusted to you? When unsure of the leadership of another, consider their zeal for their responsibilities. Look to see if their first priority is the task entrusted to them, or their own comfort.

“The Son of Man came to… give his life as a ransom for many.” When you lead, do you give your life as ransom? Do you suffer for those you lead? Do you do so willingly? Or do you begrudge the burdens placed upon you by children, students, employees, and others? Christian leadership always includes carrying the cross for the people we lead.

In the troubled times the Church faces, this can also be a guide for us who follow. As Priests, Bishops, Cardinals, and the Pope challenge one another, perhaps you wonder whom to. We must obey the hierarchy on spiritual matters – except when they command us to sin – but must we always trust every bishop? No. St. John Chrysostom famously said that the skulls of many bishops serve as lanterns on the road to hell.

But how are we to know? Should we take sides? As much as possible, no, we must avoid factionalism at all costs. But some battles, some struggles do admit of passivity and avoiding conflict. When faced with serious questions about the truth of the Gospel, or of the dangers posed to children and to all souls, we cannot pretend there is nothing going on. So, we look to these words of Christ as a guide.

Thus, we raise this question: do these leaders give their lives “as ransom?” Do they suffer for you? Even better, do they suffer from you, yet persevere? Christ was killed by those he served. Have you ever wronged a priest or bishop, been unjust to him and he endured it, did not stop caring for you? Those are the men you should trust most. As we pray and fast for the Church and her leaders, be attentive to how these wielders of ecclesial power are willing… or not willing to suffer, and suffer with patient love, for you and from you. For it is they who have learned to drink the cup of Christ, the cup of suffering and of love, the cup poured out to save your souls and the souls of many. May we have the courage to drink it with them.