Archive for December, 2009

John 3:28-30

As a young leader, one of my biggest hindrances in ministry was to answer the deeper questions of identity in external ways. Being born in a catholic family my first identity was formed as that of a catholic. Then I had an identity as a young atheist in search for answers. Later, as I encounter Christ I did not wanted to go back to my old identity as a catholic. I became a part of the Anabaptist tradition and had a negative identity formed in contrast to Catholicism and Protestantism. Later I moved ahead in this external way of forming my identity thinking of myself in terms of occupation. I thought myself as a preacher of the gospel. An external identity based either on the denomination we serve or on the occupation that pays our bills is a false identity that hindrance the leader’s effectiveness. If you pastor a small church it is easy to feel very frustrated to see that you do not measure up as a leader. You bemoan the fact that you have no mega-church to show for and that you do not circuit the nations or fill the air streams through radio or television with the message of salvation. The next temptation is to forget your particular call and your place in the kingdom in order to emulate the pastors or leaders that you consider to be a success. In my particular case, the Lord has been at work in my heart. Through his word, great mentors, great books, brothers and sisters, prayers from the saints and daily living he has been tearing down all resistances and shedding all kinds of idols from my heart. I see now that the identity of the leader has to come from the inside. It has to be rooted in Christ, and in what he made us out to be; but first and foremost in his love and grace and mercy and compassion for us. Because Jesus made us free to be certain kind of people and for certain kind of action and certain kind of praxis, leadership comes from the intersection between being, doing and feeling. We see this interaction in Jesus (John 13:1-5). First, he had feelings of love for his disciples; second, he knew who he was and where he was going; third, he decided to love his disciples to the very end and as a farewell he started to wash his disciples feet; later he will give his life for them. Action that is not rooted in being and in an identity rooted in Christ could be activism, a sort of compensation to fill voids from false identities. Sooner or later the true feelings that accompany these false identities will show their ugly face. So sit down and ponder deeply on who you are. One place to start is by thinking as John the Baptist did. Ponder on who you are not. I am not the Christ! I am only the friend of the bridegroom. It seems to me that the greatest leaders, whether we talk about Christ or John the Baptist started out by having a conscience of who they were. Being dictates doing and feeling. The main preoccupation of the leader should be with being not with doing. With knowing who he or she is and who he or she is not.

This is important because like John the Baptist, there will be a time when you as a leader need to leave the stage so another leader can come to the scene. If you know who you are you will be happy. John’s disciples were concerned, and probably envious of Jesus. “²⁶They came to John and said to him, “Rabbi, that man who was with you on the other side of the Jordan—the one you testified about—well, he is baptizing, and everyone is going to him.” John was happy about it. He knew his mission was to prepare the way for the Messiah. The Messiah had already come and was occupying his rightful place. John was a success. His ministry had been a success; he was neither intimidated nor envious. John did not have a sense of entitlement to his ministry. He knew who he was and was leading from the core of his being.

This knowledge of self produces leaders who lead with the success of Christ mission in mind; leaders who are glad when Christ himself, one or more of his disciples moves in. Leaders who do not feel threaten or defensive when they have to decrease in order for Christ to increase. Leaders who are eager to shed all their false identities including those tied not only to denominations, occupations or ideologies be it from agendas leaning to the right or the left.