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Obama & Pastoral Leadership
First a quick note. Nothing in this blog post is intended to make any political statement. It is to make a statement about leadership in general and church leadership in particular.
Chris Matthews, a liberal commentator, is a student of JFK. In the latest issue of TIME Magazine, he spells out what he feels Obama could learn from JFK about leadership. Whether you agree with him or not about what Obama is like or what Obama needs, there are some neat thoughts here that I think resonate with Biblical truth.
Here's the first one. "It's easy to spot the leader. He's the one who deserves to take the lead, because he's the one who takes the heat." This quote was under the heading "Take Responsibility." Too many pastors and leaders, even fathers and husbands, when confronted with failure, point the finger. Sometimes there is fault elsewhere to point at, but shifting blame misses the point. Jesus/God was not at all to blame for the problem of sin yet on the cross He took 100% responsibility. How often do you see the pastor of a church that is struggling recite all the forces that are to blame? Leadership, especially Biblical leadership, is about taking responsibility no matter who is to blame.
Here's another quote: “Obama doesn’t ask us to follow him,” Matthews said. “He asks us to watch him, ‘Look how smart I am.’ That’s not a winning way to be a leader. You have to ask. You have to be humble.” Again, I am not commenting on whether Matthews is right in his assesment of Obama, but either way his point is valid for Pastors/Leaders. Humility. Jesus said whoever wants to lead should be the servant of all. Jesus demonstrated this approach to leadership in the washing of the disciples feet. Too often church leaders become church lords. Too often the people play into that by elevating and venerating their leaders into lords. There is supposed to be spiritual authority and submission in the church, but that is to be rooted in the humility and servanthood of the leader, not the humility and servanthood of the followers. (Well, them to0, but as they follow those traits in the leader.)
Overall, I enjoyed reading both the online article and the magazine article and thinking about the lessons of leadership that match what the Bible teaches.
Link to online article: http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1011/67185.html
Other Article: "Five Things JFK Could Teach Obama" by Chris Matthews, TIME Magazine, November 7, 2011.