“I always knew that deep down in every heart, there is mercy and generosity. No one is born hating another person because of the color of his skin, or his background, or his religion. People must learn to hate, and if they can learn to hate, they can be taught to love, for love comes more naturally to the human heart than its opposite.

Nelson Mandela, (A Long Walk to Freedom)

A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.                                     John 13:34-35

I’ve been listening to a podcast about the human brain, and it is fascinating. Once again, I am struck by the complexity and grand design of our body, and especially the brain. The author talks about use of the word “hardwiring” that is sometimes used in discussing brain function and he says that “livewiring” is a better word, because the brain is always compensating to adapt to circumstances in our life. I cannot go into all the amazing details, of course, but suffice it to say, it got me thinking about learning.

We are learning all the time. We are adjusting and compensating for the things that life throws at us. Our brain is constantly giving us sensory messages about our environment. We can also learn more important emotional skills to navigate this world so that we can become more of what God intended us to be- loving people. We are not born hating other people. That, unfortunately is learned.

When we continually use a certain part of our brain- when we “overlearn” something- it tends to endure and almost become second nature. It comes easily to us after much practice. So too with doing loving things. The more we practice loving behaviors, the more we feel love.

You know my mantra if you are a regular reader of this blog- DO, THEN FEEL. If we do something enough, we will feel like doing it. If I act lovingly, I begin to feel more loving.

So, that is what we are called to do. Learn to love better. That is what we were created to do.

Prayer: Father, you have made us to love one another. Help us to learn how to do that daily, Amen

“Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here?’
‘That depends a good deal on where you want to get to,’ said the Cat.
‘I don’t much care where -‘ said Alice.
‘Then it doesn’t matter which way you go,’ said the Cat.
‘- so long as I get SOMEWHERE,’ Alice added as an explanation.
‘Oh, you’re sure to do that,’ said the Cat, ‘if you only walk long enough.”
― Lewis Carroll, Alice in Wonderland

Where there is no vision, the people cast off restraint;
But happy is he who keeps the law                                                                                                                                  Proverbs 29:18

There are many dimensions of leadership, but I will close this discussion of leadership principles with the “vision of leadership”. Vision is an irreplaceable aspect of excellent leadership. A good leader has an idea of where the people, the organization, he/she leads must go in order to prosper and succeed. That leader can articulate those goals, give heart to people to follow that vision, and then do the hard work of leading toward those goals.

The problem often is that the goals are not seen by people, and they have trouble following the hard course set out by the visionary leader. It takes courage and tenacity for a good leader to move forward toward what he/she knows is the best course for the people he or she leads. The leader also models such leadership by discipline and steadfast movement toward achieving the lofty goals set forth.

This entails that the leader is acting in the best interest of the people led. This takes selfless courage, and discipline. These attributes are hard to find, but if you have had the blessing of being under such leadership, you feel secure and satisfied that you are on a powerful mission- one that is worth the sacrifices you must make. The mission has become more important than personal gratification, and that is what gives our lives meaning and value.

Yes, we are all headed in a direction. If, like Alice above, that direction does not matter, leadership does not matter. But if we want a clear and meaningful direction, a mission, we need strong, courageous, visionary leadership.  

Prayer: Father, thank you for strong, courageous leaders whom you have put into our lives. Give us courage and strength to move toward the lofty goals of serving your creation, Amen.

After this a lot of his disciples left. They no longer wanted to be associated with him. Then Jesus gave the Twelve their chance: “Do you also want to leave?”

 Peter replied, “Master, to whom would we go? You have the words of real life, eternal life. We’ve already committed ourselves, confident that you are the Holy One of God.”

John 6:66-69 (The Message)

There is a now famous saying that President Harry S. Truman had on a little plaque on his desk- “The Buck Stops Here”. The saying is perhaps a bit trite nowadays, but the principle is still relevant. Back in those days, the early 1950’s, the idea resonated bit more than it does today. We had just come through the great conflict of World War II, and military type thinking was still much more accepted. Radical responsibility said that the leader took full ownership of anything that happened under his/her watch. If there was a mishap, a failure, a problem, the leader took responsibility for it, even if the specifics of the problem were not directly attributable to the leader.

President Truman had to make some very difficult decisions. He had to decide upon dropping the atomic bomb on Japan. He had to decide proper actions on a national steel strike. He had to decide on firing General Douglas MacArthur when MacArthur defied orders. Truman made some important, and often unpopular decisions, but he owned them and accepted the consequences.  

Perhaps this is harsh, but it points out the ultimate nature of responsibility. The leader does not get to blame underlings or others for failures that happen on his/her watch. Blame is not projected onto others, and the leader cannot act like a victim. Real leaders accept that they are ultimately responsible for the organization they lead and, by extension, the lives of those people in that organization.

People can follow a leader whom they trust. People can trust leaders who accept responsibility, and those who own the consequences of their decisions. Casting blame onto others for failures is not an option. Yes, leadership is hard, and often unfair. But that is the cost of leadership.

Prayer: As Peter replied to Jesus, you are the only leader who has the words of life. Help us follow, Amen.

Think of yourselves the way Christ Jesus thought of himself. He had equal status with God but didn’t think so much of himself that he had to cling to the advantages of that status no matter what. Not at all. When the time came, he set aside the privileges of deity and took on the status of a slave, became human! Having become human, he stayed human. It was an incredibly humbling process. He didn’t claim special privileges. Instead, he lived a selfless, obedient life and then died a selfless, obedient death—and the worst kind of death at that—a crucifixion.                                                                                                            Philippians 2:5-8 (The Message)

I have been a student of leadership principles for a number of years, and I will be sharing some of these elements of leadership in the next few blogs. I have always believed that humility is a fundamental character trait for leadership, and I was gratified to see that Doris Kearns Goodwin, a giant of scholarship, agrees with that principle. When I teach, I use various historic world leaders to amplify that point, and one I always use is George Washington.

Washington was a unique leader. After having led the Continental Army to victory over the British in the Revolutionary War, he went to Congress and turned over his sword to them, yielding to the authority of that elected body. Remember, at that time, the only tangible power that existed in the newborn country (indeed, at this point, we did not even have a Constitution) was the standing army. He led that army, and he turned over the power of that force to the civil government.

The rest of the world was astounded at this gesture. Military leaders of that era could be expected to simply assert their military might into ruling the country they represented. Washington gave an example of the principle of submission to civil authority. The rule of law would supersede the rule of might.

What does a great leader do with his/her power? They use it for the good of the people they lead. They empower others to act rightly for the common good. The paradox is that great leaders find a way to give away power responsibly- not hoard it for themselves. In this way, real authority is exercised, not just the flaunting of raw power.

When Jesus humbled himself to come to the earth as a baby, he exemplified this principle in the most dramatic fashion.

Great leaders give themselves away to serve those whom they lead.  

Prayer: Thank you Father for the example of servanthood as true leadership, Amen.

 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.                                                                                                                                                                                         II Chronicles 7:14 (KJV)

As I write this blog, election returns have not yet been tabulated, and we do not yet know who our next President will be. We hear rumblings about possible civil unrest regardless of which man wins the office. This breaks my heart. Then it makes me angry.

We have a long history of elections, and subsequent transfer of power if the incumbent loses the election. Similarly, should the incumbent win, we have been committed to accepting peacefully the will of the electorate. Regardless of the winner, and we may not know for some time after November 3, our proud nation must be committed to peace and adherence to the orderly processes we have had for over two centuries.

We have been blessed by so many elements that have contributed to our success as a nation.  French observer Alexis de’ Tocqueville allegedly wrote that “America is great, because America is good”. Whether or not he actually uttered that statement, I believe it to be true. The greatness of our beloved United States lies in the generosity of spirit of its people, the courage of her defenders, the commitment to hard work, wonderful natural resources, and reliance upon God’s provision for our country to be the rescuer of other nations whose own freedoms were being threatened.

To think that this country could be beset by civil disobedience because of the failure of a particular candidate is appalling to me. This country has had some good Presidents, some poor Presidents, and even some great Presidents. However, this country is much bigger than the person who sits in power at the White House. The beauty of our republic is that there is an orderly process whereby we elect a new President every four years.

My hope, my prayer, is that the greatness of the country will be shown in the reason and caring of its people, regardless of the election, to maintain the integrity and character of the United States of America.

Prayer: Lord, we thank you for your generous provision for the country we love. As the words of the song go, “Stand beside her, and guide her, through the night with the light from above” Amen

 Jesus said, “So, you believe because you’ve seen with your own eyes. Even better blessings are in store for those who believe without seeing.”                                                                                                                                      John 20:29 (The Message)

This faith thing is pretty hard. God calls upon us to exercise faith in him with out ever having seen him. He knows, of course, that this is hard, and that is why he told Thomas- yes, “doubting Thomas”- that he had believed because he actually saw and experienced the risen Jesus. Others, all of the rest of us who have followed in this faith journey, believe without the benefit of sight. Jesus said, that even better blessings are in store for those who believe without sight.

So, it seems that our vision of God must come through other means. It must come in his creation. It must come in seeing the grand spectacle of towering mountains, or magnificent oceans. Better yet, it comes in seeing him in other people. In sacrificial gestures of kindness and heroism. In parents who live for, and sometimes die for their children. In first-line responders who put their life on the line every day for others.

When our faith is flagging, we get renewed in seeing the faith of others. I think that is what Jesus meant when he said, “Even better blessings are in store for those who believe without seeing.”     

Prayer: Thank you Lord for helping us to see you through others, Amen.

But Samuel replied: “Does the Lord delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the Lord? To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams

I Samuel 15:22

In yesterday’s blog I talked about the ten lepers whom Jesus healed as he travelled the roads between Samaria and Galilee. The significance of the border between Samaria and Galilee was that Jews and Samaritans were at odds. Tribally, culturally, theologically, historically – all those deep-rooted reasons existed for those people groups to be enemies. Yet, in that leper group, they were traveling together, despite those deep differences. It seems that life-threatening circumstances overcome even those major differences among people. They shared the suffering of leprosy and social isolation. They were desperate men.

When they came to Jesus for healing, he told them to “go and show themselves to the priest”. This was the command from Moses from ancient times, and Jesus invoked this to the lepers. Jesus could have healed them right there, right away. He had done that before. In this instance, I think he wanted an object lesson for them, for his followers and for us. I think the message is that as we meet God at the place of obedience, he does what we cannot do – heal ourselves.

We know of course, that the lepers obeyed Jesus and did find healing along the way. When we obey what God instructs, that allows him to do the healing that only he can do. Our natural actions can give rise to God’s supernatural interventions.

What a great lesson for us. Our obedience frees up God’s hand in our life to do amazing things. Our job is to let him do it.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for the plans you have for our benefit, Amen.

 As Jesus went to Jerusalem, He passed between Samaria and Galilee.  As He entered a village, there met Him ten men who were lepers, who stood at a distance.  They lifted up their voices, saying, “Jesus, Master, have pity on us!”

 When He saw them, He said to them, “Go, show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went, they were cleansed.

 One of them, when he saw that he was healed, returned with a loud voice glorifying God,and fell down on his face at His feet, giving Him thanks. And he was a Samaritan                                                                              Luke 17: 11-16

Yesterday I talked about the U.S. Senate, and their collective failure to step across the aisle to know one another and work together despite the crises that we are facing as a nation. I alluded to a Bible story of the ten lepers who, in their pain and loss, came together and sought Jesus as the solution to their problem. Problems change, but the solution doesn’t.

Those ten lepers that I talked about were both Jews and Gentiles, bound together in their misery of leprosy. In their plight, they saw that the thing that they had in common- the misery of leprosy- was bigger than the thing that separated them. Their cultural and religious heritage paled in comparison to the life-threatening disease with which they were commonly cursed. Their common need brought them together to seek the healing touch of Jesus. Upon encountering Jesus, he told them to go and seek the priest, and as they did, they were healed along the way. As they obeyed his words, they went on their way following his command, and they were healed.

So today, I think that obedience to the commands of Jesus, to seek his healing, will save the day. People on both sides of the political aisle must seek the good of the people they serve, as God would have them do, and our nation can be healed. But it will not be a political party or path that heals us. It will be submission to the commands of the loving God who put them in place to serve as they were elected.

Both political parties have valid points to make. Neither has the corner on the truth. Only as we submit to the truth that each group has something to offer for the common good can we move toward healing.

Is this idealistic? Of course it is. Just as the gospel is foolishness to those who scoff at it.

Prayer: Lord, give us the strength to yield to you as the solver of our problems. That problem is, our distance from you, Amen.

 As Jesus went to Jerusalem, He passed between Samaria and Galilee.  As He entered a village, there met Him ten men who were lepers, who stood at a distance.  They lifted up their voices, saying, “Jesus, Master, have pity on us!” Luke 17:11-13

I find it of interest that the United States Senate seating is configured so that Republicans are on one side of the aisle, and Democrats on the other. Of course, we know that there is a large gulf between the two parties, policy wise, but there is also a physical distance between the Senators, marked by an aisle. The expression “across the aisle” is both a literal and figurative distance that, these days, seems to be more like a canyon than an aisle.

I heard recently that, based upon a video study comparison over a number of years, there is actually dramatically less physical crossing of the aisle than there has been in decades. The Senators literally keep their distance from one another. They don’t seem to talk across the aisle much anymore. We know that the more we separate from those we really don’t know, the less chance we have of developing a relationship, and getting to really know the other person. Lack of contact leads to reliance upon assumptions and stereotypes to define the “other”.

This is a problem. Not only for our Senators, but for anyone who really does not know the unknown individual who is seen as different, and therefore, possibly dangerous. Such tribal thinking is endemic to human nature, and it evolved for a reason. However, failing to challenge those stereotypes and assumptions can be very harmful, for both parties.

To the extent that our Senators do not interact with one another, we all suffer. There was a time when it was not this bad. I think it is now very bad.

We are, as a nation, suffering from serious problems- problems which could bring us together. I think to the Bible story of the ten lepers who banded together when they were in trouble and they needed help.

Tomorrow, I will talk about their situation.  

Prayer: Lord, you created us to be connected to one another and to you. Help us to find ways to honor your plan, Amen

Have not I commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”

Joshua 1:9

I am of a certain age, and I have voted in quite a few elections over the years. I do not typically share with the public for whom I voted, and I will continue that practice.

Except today. Today I am going to tell you who I voted for!

In 1976.

 I am giving myself a statute of limitations, and declaring that after 44 years, I can reveal my vote for President that year. I voted for Gerald Ford in his race against Jimmy Carter. Why did I do that? I mean, the country was in an awful economic downturn. We had the terrible double feature of high inflation and high interest rates. We were buying our first house that year, and we felt very fortunate to get an interest rate of 8% on the loan. Eight percent for heaven’s sake! Home loans these days are hovering, I think, in the low 3% range, and some lower. Why vote for the sitting President in such a poor economy? Because of his character.

President Ford, of course took office never having won a Presidential election, and he never would.

I voted for him because he was a man of integrity and courage. He made a decision that he almost certainly knew would lose him millions of votes- he pardoned his predecessor, Richard Nixon. He did this not because of a political deal, but because he knew that the country must move on from the debacle of Nixon’s treachery. He knew that the country desperately needed to heal. Yes, I have done some research on this, and there has never been a hint about a political arrangement for Ford to become President in exchange for his pardon of Nixon.

So, there it is. It took a great deal of courage for Ford to make that decision, and it likely cost him his own elected term as President. I so appreciated President Ford’s character that I wrote him a letter after the election. I do not recall ever having written to any other President, but I did write to Gerald Ford.

John F. Kennedy wrote a book titled Profiles in Courage when he was in the U.S. Senate before his run for President in 1960. In it he wrote stories about singularly courageous acts which may have been lost to history. This is one act that I would like to ensure is not lost to history.

Prayer: Lord, give our leaders strength of character, courage, and dependence upon you, Amen.