Lk. 6: 39-45
The general elections are approaching. The whole nation is going to do their part in electing their leader. Each with their own idea about a leader tends to appreciate or criticize the one in power. According to John C Maxwell, “Leader is one who knows the way, goes the way, and shows the way” Now comes the important question, Are you ready to be a leader? The common criticism that prevails against Christians is that we are not likely to be involved in the political scenario of the country and not even courageous enough to take up leadership. ‘It is said that leaders are not born, they are made.’ I think one who follows the way of Christ is also called to be a leader like Christ who showed us the way that leads us to the fullness of life.
Today’s gospel passage helps us to have a better understanding on this theme. The first quality Jesus sees in a leader is that of being a good companion, who can show the way to others. To fulfill this mission we need to keep two factors in our minds. Firstly, the leader should be the one who knows the way and he/she should have the grace of insight to lead others. If you are a Christian who has not lived the way of Christ authentically or is blindfolded to the beatitudes of Christ, you cannot be a good leader. Christ poses this question for us to reflect: ‘Can a blind person guide a blind person’? If we are not convinced of the way of Christ we cannot be a leader who guides the flock to the green pastures. Secondly, leadership is an opportunity to help others in their growth. We need to make them aware of their weaknesses, but it should not remain in that realm. Our presence should build up confidence and empower them to accept their weaknesses and help them to focus more on their strengths that their weaknesses become the stepping-stones in their effort to grow and lead.
As leaders, all of us are expected to bear fruits. But as Christian leaders we will be different from others because of our vision, a vision of love that defines us as Jesus said, by your love they will know that you are my disciples and this love we have to cultivate in us. In a secular sense leader has to be an ambitious person, one who builds one’s own career and his kingdom whereas, a Christian leader should have an altruistic dimension wherein he/she becomes a prime factor in the growth of others, at the same time he/she grows in all the aspects of life especially into full stature of the person of Christ. This is very well seen in the life of St. Paul, who from being a persecutor of Christ became a Christ-giver. His growth into the person of Christ was not quick, but gradual. His encounter with Christ on the way to Damascus initiated the transformation. His acceptance of Christ as saviour causes him to say, “I am what I am by the grace of God.” This acceptance leads to total surrender to Christ when he proclaims: “It is no longer I but Christ who lives in me.” Saint Paul’s imitation of Christ in its fullness even to the point of suffering and death make him the perfect Christian model to be emulated a leader. And so he rightly acclaims: “be imitators of me as I am of Christ.” Like St. Paul, when we are filled with this vision of life, the vision of Christ, every word that we utter would be a gospel, and a life transforming Word for others. Let us think and lead others with the mind of Christ.