This is the time of year when football watchers hear that familiar refrain “upon further review…”.  I thought it might be a good time to bring back this past blog entry for “further review”. Enjoy!

Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the Earth                                                                                         Matthew 5:5

I have always been drawn to the meaning of the word “meekness”. We have typically made the word synonymous with “mild” or even “weak”. One of the definitions I found for the word was:

MEEKNESS- NOUN

1. the fact or condition of being meek; submissiveness

However, upon further review, I think the meaning is actually quite different than this. Some Bible expositors define meekness as “power under control”. I think this is the sense that Jesus talked about in the Sermon on the Mount. Those who are meek really will inherit the earth, because the meek have power and use it with great discretion. Those who have the attribute of meekness recognize that they do not need to bully others, or intimidate others in an argument. They have enough self-assurance that they need not explain to others that they are powerful in their reasoning. 

Like a strong horse whose power is under control by the bridle, it can summon great strength when it is directed properly by the rider. The key is to understand that the power is available, it is not used recklessly, but for a purpose.

Do not underestimate the power of a restrained response. Especially in these days of anger and social media confrontation, those who demonstrate meekness, may be seen as weak, but their discretion is so important. The restraint that we need these days will be modeled by the meek.

I hope they do inherit the earth.

Prayer: I thank you for the depth of Jesus’ amazing teaching. His are truly the words of life, Amen.

Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honor preferring one another;                            Romans 12:10

This past weekend, my wife had a family reunion with her cousins. Since I have been part of this family for nearly 50 years, I have developed close relationships with her family- my in-laws, and her cousins being part of that group, of course.

It is important to know that this family’s story includes the fact that their parents (and aunts and uncles) grew up in a home in Tiffin, Ohio after their ancestors’ father had died of typhoid fever in 1923. Those siblings grew up in an orphanage (but they never called it that- it was their home), and went on to serve in World War II and on the “home front” during that war. Later, they came home to rear a group of highly successful and responsible children whose heritage and offspring continue to be impactful to this day.

They make it a point to get together as frequently as possible, following the steps of their parents, aunts and uncles, to celebrate family. They share joys, heartaches and love exceptionally well. This “overcomer story” should be, and is, celebrated. What a heritage they have of overcoming powerful obstacles together as a family.

At the end of every family gathering each year, they hold hands in a circle and sing the old hymn, “Blessed Be the Tie That Binds”, a tradition that has lasted now for some 65 years. I have always been amazed by this wonderful family, and I am blessed to be a part of it.

Prayer: Thank you Lord for the power of love to overcome pain and obstacles, Amen.

Open your eyes and there it is! By taking a long and thoughtful look at what God has created, people have always been able to see what their eyes as such can’t see: eternal power, for instance, and the mystery of his divine being.                                                                                                                        Romans1:20 (The Message)

I remember my college years as a time of questioning who I was, who I was to become, and my faith orientation. Indeed, that is the purpose of college- to question the world, to decide your future goals and mission, and be open about learning new things. I had wonderful hard-working, loving parents, incredible siblings, and a foundation of strong faith. Of course, that was a solid foundation to begin the search for what my career and my faith might be.

I also was in college in the 60’s. For most of you, that quickly explains the need to question everything- that’s what we did. I remember vividly, while taking Zoology my freshman year, the questions of creation vs. evolution, the origins of life, and the presence of a loving God were themes that reoccurred.

As I studied more about the intricacies of life, and human life in particular, I had this clear reassurance that the design of our bodies, and that of the universe, were orchestrated by a masterful and omniscient Creator. The science of Zoology had confirmed my faith far better than any other course of study I might have pursued- including Theology.

Does that happen to everyone? No. In fact, I am still amazed that some people do not see the hand of God in designing and creating the universe. But that’s just me. The fact that it happened for me also gives me a spiritual reassurance. I believe that the Holy Spirit gave me that clarity of thinking regarding science and faith. It certainly was not my brilliance that carried the day. It was my willingness to see science with spiritual eyes.

So for me, science and faith go hand-in-hand. They are not at odds, they reinforce one another. I do have concerns over people who would deny science in the name of faith, or deny faith in the name of science. Again, that’s just me. We all need to run our race of faith and courageously question the world around us.

My faith says that I love people in the process, even if they do not land on the same conclusions as me. And yes, I am not perfect on that, but that’s just me.

Prayer: Father, thank you for the marvels of your creation, and the science to explore them, Amen.

And the people of Berea were more open-minded than those in Thessalonica, and they listened eagerly to Paul’s message. They searched the Scriptures day after day to see if Paul and Silas were teaching the truth                                                                                                                                                                                 Acts 17:11

We Americans are highly opinionated. Maybe not more so than people in other countries, but I kinda think so. That’s my opinion. That is not backed by any scientific fact of which I am aware, but I think I will stand by that.

I am on this topic because I read a blog some time ago which challenged the readers to consider the value of their opinions. We all have a right to believe whatever we want, and truly, people have some beliefs that are “out there”. That’s OK, because, we have this beautiful right to hold opinions and freely express them. People in some other countries do not have that right, that wonderful luxury that we have as Americans.

However, just because we have an opinion does not make it right. Some opinions are backed by research, study, and diligent thought. Some are backed by nothing more than our own hunches, gut feelings, and affirmations of like-minded thinkers.

Luke, the likely writer of the book of Acts, applauded the Bereans, saying that they were, “more open-minded than those in Thessalonica, and they listened eagerly to Paul’s message. They searched the Scriptures day after day to see if Paul and Silas were teaching the truth.

The Bereans evidently did not just take Paul’s teaching whole cloth without checking out the facts for themselves. Luke gave them credit for being open-minded, and willing to search for the truth. The Bereans were searching for truth, not just something that validated their own worldview. They heard a new message from Paul and Silas, and they wanted to check into it for themselves. They searched the scriptures to see if Paul’s message was lining up with the best validation they could find.

Social media is filled with opinions. Some of it is re-posted opinions that have been long debunked as untrue. We all have the right to post whatever we feel is important information to be shared. I also believe that we have the responsibility to check into the supporting facts or research of those opinions before we spread them around.

I trust that we can be more like the Bereans who were diligent in searching for the truth, checking the facts as best they could, and being open-minded in that search.          

Prayer: Father, thank you for your truth, which sets us free, Amen

“The Spirit of the LORD is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free                                                                                                                                                      Luke 4:18

In past blogs, I have discussed the subject of “stories”. More specifically, I referenced the parables of Jesus as he went about sharing truth to people in ways so that they could readily understand him. His society was not a particularly literate one. Reading and writing were more for the educated elite, scholars who taught in the temple and synagogues.

Jesus was often angered by the behavior of the educated elites of the day. Many of those teachers and leaders used their power and wealth for the benefit of the few, and certainly not for the poor. That is what made Jesus so radical. He came, as he said to “proclaim good news to the poor”. So, it certainly made sense that Jesus spoke in the language that the poor and uneducated could readily understand. He told stories and parables to instruct and inspire people.

One of the ways to get at the truths in those parables is to have someone get into the place of one of the characters in the story. I have clients sometimes consider some of those parables from the viewpoint of the character, not as the listener of the story. How different is it when someone, for example, can get into the mind of one of the brothers in the Prodigal Son story? Maybe the story of the Good Samaritan. These two parables have transcended time and culture to become part of the literature and wisdom in places where Christianity is not well known. These are human interest stories which can be felt by anyone.

Sometimes it is easier to become aware of feelings when we can distance it from ourselves. We somehow have “permission” to express what that might be like without owning it for ourselves. My goal is to get people willing to just look at what is really going on in their mind and heart. It takes courage to do that.

Stories can help.

Prayer: Thank you Lord for the timeless truths found in the teachings of Jesus, Amen.

 “The tongue has the power of life and death.” The stakes are high. Your words can either speak life, or your words can speak death. Our tongues can build others up, or they can tear them down.                                                                                                           Proverbs 18:21

I had an interesting discussion the other day with a client about some communication with his wife. As we have explored in past blogs, communication can be very complex. First, there are all the non-verbal communications which are very powerful -things like eye contact, smiles, body posture, spacing, and gestures, to name a few. Verbal communication involves not just words but tone of voice, emphasis on certain words, and of course, the words themselves.

Little nuances in wording can make a big difference in communication. I was talking with my client about how he can communicate his needs to his wife regarding alone time. “Alone time” is something that everyone needs, some, of course more than others. Asking for that need was one of our discussions. He was concerned that his wife would misunderstand when he asked for time alone. In fact, that had been the case at times, and he worried about having that happen again.

He told me he would say things like “Could you give me some time alone?” This statement alone does not seem to be a problem, but if you put it in the context that there have been frictions over “control”, this statement may have taken on a different meaning than intended. Further, I have no idea of the tone of that message, or the non-verbals connected with it.

First, he was asking her to give him something that he could do for himself. It is not up to her to “give” him time alone. Another little nuance, not a big thing, but maybe a big thing, is the wording of “time alone” I suggested that he use the phrase “alone time” which is something that does not infer that he wants to be away from her, but a needed space of just having time to himself.  

Again, I realize I am getting into the weeds here of nit-picking words. Yet, attention to how those words may come across to the listener is important. I was trying to sensitize the client to see that his wife may see his words differently than he intended. That he was perhaps unintentionally giving a message to her that he did not want to give.

So, words matter. Thinking of how those words might be perceived is important. True, we are not responsible for how people receive our messages, but we do need to have consideration for how to best present that message.

Prayer: Lord, you have given us the gift of language and communication, what a precious and powerful gift, 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.”

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, elected 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.

 ^“I thank my God every time I remember you”.                                                           Philippians 1:3

Yesterday I talked about the effects of stress, specifically the burden that it places on our endocrine system, which responds with hormonal responses to the flight, fright or freeze process. We know that acute stress causes spikes in these hormonal responses with release of cortisol and adrenaline. Over a period of time, such reactions can cause some long-term physical and emotional problems.

Especially problematic is the presence of long-term, chronic stress, where the body gets fatigued with the repeated release of these chemicals which prepare us for acute responses. If the stress is prolonged, we can have some long-term physical problems. Unfortunately, many people in many professions are expected to always be vigilant, always in response mode. This leads to physical and emotional burn-out.

We get used to stress, and it becomes like normal. But it is not normal. We pay a price for such long-term stress. Indeed, human resilience can become adapted to incredible stresses. Physicians and emergency personnel who are “on call” become inured to vigilance as a way of life. Soldiers and police officers become accustomed to danger as a part of everyday life, and they sometimes do not even acknowledge the presence of constant fear. “It’s what we do”, they say.

Yes, it is what they do, and I thank them for it. I don’t know how long such persistence is possible. Clearly, like the law of economics, whatever we put off comes due with interest. We pay a high price (like interest charges) at a future time for the current stress we undergo.

We recognize that stress is an unavoidable a part of life, but some have more chronic stress than others. Undo, unnatural stress over time comes with a cost. Validation of such sacrifice is important to society in order to support and encourage those who sacrifice for our safety and security every day.

So, for those who serve us in first line healthcare, for those police, fire, military and other emergency personnel. Thank you for what you do. You are paying a price, and we appreciate it!

Please try to take care of yourselves.

Prayer: Father, we lift up those who serve in such critical roles to serve their community. Bless them, and protect them, Amen.