From: In the Name of Jesus by Henri J. Nouwen
“In all truth I tell you
When you were young you put on your belt and walked where you liked;
but when you grow old you will stretch out your hands
and somebody else will put a belt around you
and take you where you would rather not go."
(John 21: 18)
These words touch the core of Christian leadership and are spoken to offer us ever and again new ways to let of power and follow the humble way of Jesus. Jesus has a different vision of maturity: It is the ability and willingness to be led where you would rather not go. The way of the Christian leader is not the way of upward mobility in which our world has invested so much, but the way of downward mobility ending on the cross.
The downward-moving way to Jesus is the way to joy and the peace of God, a joy and peace that is not of this world. Here we touch on the most important quality of Christian leadership in the future. It is not a leadership of power and control, but the leadership of powerless and humility in which the suffering servant of God, Jesus Christ, is made manifest. I am speaking of leadership in which power is constantly abandoned in favor of love. It is true spiritual leadership.
Powerlessness and humility refer to people who are so deeply in love with Jesus that they are ready to follow him wherever he guides them, always trusting that, with him, they will find life and find it abundantly.
As servant leaders, we will become dependent on the positive or negative responses of those to whom we go and thus be truly led where the Spirit of Jesus wants to lead us.
The Christian leader thinks, speaks, and acts in the name of Jesus, who came to free humanity from the power of death and open the way to eternal life.
How are we to become more like Christ as a servant leader?
Randi Tatsch
4th Grade Teacher/Editor
