LENT: COMPASSIONATE LEADING - CONTEMPLATIVE MEDITATION 12.4.13

Impacted by Henri Nouwen's meditation for today
and wanting to share it with you. . . Lovely revelation and increased understanding
on this much misunderstood topic...  be Blessed!

Saturday April 12, 2014 Mostly we think of people with great authority as higher up, far away, hard to reach.  But spiritual authority comes from compassion and emerges from deep inner solidarity with those who are "subject" to authority.   The one who is fully like us, who deeply understands our joys and pains or hopes and desires, and who is willing and able to walk with us, that is the one to whom we gladly give authority and whose "subjects" we are willing to be. It is the compassionate authority that empowers, encourages, calls forth hidden gifts, and enables great things to happen.  True spiritual authorities are located in the point of an upside-down triangle, supporting and holding into the light everyone they offer their leadership to. If someone is serving me, let him follow me; wherever I am, my servant will be there too. My Father will honour anyone who serves me. John 12.26 Spiritual leadership is the leadership of the Good Shepherd.  As Jesus says, good shepherds know their sheep, and their sheep know them (see John 10:14).   * There must be a true mutuality between shepherds and their sheep.  Good leaders know their own, and their own know them.  Between them is mutual trust, mutual openness, mutual care, and mutual love.  To follow our leaders we cannot be afraid of them, and to lead our followers we need their encouragement and support. Jesus calls himself the Good Shepherd to show the great intimacy that must exist between leaders and those entrusted to them.  Without such intimacy, leadership easily becomes oppressive.

* Lenten Thoughts in Response ...
What kind of response do I want to result from my life? Do I want to be a person who "empowers, encourages, calls forth hidden gifts  and enables great things to happen"? To live with mutual connection.  Mutual trust, care, respect. To know and be known. Who is that?  Who does that? The compassionate One. The One Who supports and holds us into The Light. It is "The One Who is 'fully like us, Who deeply understands our joys and pains, hopes and desires,
and Who is willing and able to walk with us" That is The One I want- I need to be like. The One to Whom I gladly give authority - Whose 'subject' I am willing to be. and Whose Life-giving ways, Whose Light I want to reflect.
*
“The Spirit of Adonai spoke through me,
his word was on my tongue.
 The God of Isra’el spoke;
the Rock of Isra’el said to me,
‘A ruler over people must be upright,
ruling in the fear of God;
 like the morning light at sunrise
on a cloudless day
that makes the grass on the earth
sparkle after a rain.’

2 Samuel 23:2-4

Complete Jewish Bible (CJB)

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