Indispensability

I'm speaking on leadership this Sunday evening, and have gone back to some thoughts I jotted down about 6 months ago, about the house group my wife and I lead at the Vineyard.

Our group has grown in the last year, and in fact now multiplied into two. A striking feature of that growth, is that it has happened at a time when I was less present than I would have liked to be, due to other commitments. There I was, worried about how the group would fare without my guiding hand (!) and it turned out they got along just fine. Better than fine.

Which got me thinking about the idea of being dispensable. We all want to be needed, don't we? And God loves to use us in ways which allow our giftings to flourish. But when we're involved in God's work, his plans go well beyond the limits our self-importance tries to place on them

There is a place for pioneering leadership. A big place.

But there is a problem when the leader makes him or herself indispensable to the cause for which he or she fights.

Without pioneering, creative, bold leaders, nothing new happens. Until David chucks the stone at Goliath, a whole army stood immobilised. Until Moses proclaimed freedom for Israel, a whole nation sat enslaved.

God does wonderful things through pioneering leadership.

The pioneer falters, however, when he or she becomes indispensable for the long term. When there is no vision beyond the charisma of the leader.

Elijah raised up Elisha. Moses Joshua. Even Jesus raised up 12 men to 'do the stuff' he'd done, to use a favourite vineyard phrase. And the thing with Jesus was he taught his disciples to do it, and to teach others to do it. He charged the disciples to make disciples. To make disciple-making disciples.

He didn't tell them to go and get others to follow you. He said go and teach them to be like me, doing what I do.

Paul, to a certain group of believers, said 'follow my example as I follow Christ's'. In other words follow me.

Jesus, said we'd do the same things, and greater things than him. Follow me, then go beyond me. (Lest I blaspheme, this applies to Jesus in his ministry as a human on earth, rather than in his divine supremacy).

Pioneering leadership begins with 'follow me'. But it's goal should always be 'go beyond me'.

When pioneering leadership does the 'follow me' but stops short of saying 'go beyond me', it stagnates into pride. The indispensability of leader damages the cause.

So let me bring it home. I can, like all of us (I hope), suffer from that bizarre combination of over- and under- confidence, arrogance and insecurity that is so unique to our species. God has made me a leader (mysterious ways, right?). But if I am leading as I should, I should see people being raised up not just to learn from my dubious example, but to go further than me. To far exceed my giftings, to leap well beyond my small wisdom and to exponentially better any fruitfulness I may have had. And when I see that, it is a cause for joy rather than sorrow.

Sometimes, to raise up disciples, to inspire new leaders and to ensure long term fruitfulness, we need to set aside our pride, and get of the way.

Class, Poverty and the Law

I'll warn you now.  This series of loosely connected thoughts has no conclusion. Rather, this is all question and no answer.  At least not yet.

Lately I've had an awful suspicion that the world is not really as I've always seen it. My life - my economic background, the stability of my upbringing and the variety and quality of my opportunities - isn't actually typical.

I know, I know. We've all heard that if you have a toaster and a sock you're in the top 0.1% of wealthiest people (or some only slightly less extreme stat). But still, you can't get away from the fact that you assume everyone has experienced life like you have. At least everyone from the same country as you.

I once assumed everyone had two parents who were married.

I assumed everyone had a loving, open, supportive family who encouraged them to express themselves and be emotionally healthy.

I assumed that everyone had a decent shot at doing well in school if they knuckled down.

I assumed that everyone could get a job if they really wanted one.

I assumed that anyone with a job could buy a house (because otherwise it wouldn't make sense, would it?).

I assumed that everyone who said they liked cricket was lying. Ok that one isn't so relevant. True though.

I assumed that everyone had financially stable parents who would help to bail them out if they couldn't quite get their career started.

I assumed that for those very very few unlucky ones who couldn't support themselves, and who didn't have family to support them, the state welfare system would take care of them generously - at least enough to feed, clothe and house themselves. Because in our society we don't let people go hungry, go cold or go homeless.

The result of all those assumptions is that I thought that if someone was poor - I mean really poor, unable to feed or clothe or house or heat themselves - it must be because they are somehow refusing to take the help offered. It must be because they don't want to live differently.

These subconscious preconceptions ran pretty deep in me - in fact I think I have only just realised how much they still informed my views and impressions.

Those are not true statements (cricket the exception).  So many people grow up with abuse or it's passive cousin neglect.  Hundreds of pupils in Scotland are going to school with no idea or example of what it means to be a working member of society.  A huge number of those visiting the UKs food banks are people who have jobs, but the wage isn't enough to feed the family.  Anecdotally, I am discovering that the benefits system, particularly in the last few years, uses any excuse to stop payments - even to those who are destitute.  From my studies I know that a huge category of asylum seekers are not entitled to any kind of benefit payment.  Is this the picture of a caring society that Lloyd George et al envisaged 70 - 100 years ago?

I've never been someone who is passionate about the poor. I mean I've bought my fair share of the 'Big Issue'. Right thing to do. Ease the old conscience. I'm a Christian, so of course I care. Just not any more than the bare minimum. My passions are elsewhere.

And that's ok - we're not all called to battle every single problem. I think God puts each of us here for a specific reason, so it makes sense that some are more passionate about certain things than others. But something has been stirring in me recently. I've been wondering why I'm a lawyer. Why the degree. Why the training.  So that I can make money for a big firm? So that I can work for huge corporations and bolster their profits? Wow. That'll put a spring in my Monday morning step.

Maybe God made me a lawyer, so that I can seek justice.

The bible tells us to 'speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute. Speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor and needy'

Which is fine.  Until you see people poor, destitute, needy and voiceless.

There is no conclusion to this blog. These thoughts are very much unconcluded.

But one thing I'm clear on.  It's not right for me - or you (sorry) - to sit in a middle class bubble thinking everyone looks, thinks and lives like us.  It's not right to go on our way to pursue careers, move to the suburbs and raise rich kids with no thought for those who just don't have those choices.

So what do we do?

Maybe I'll sell it all and be a monk.  Nah I'd be rubbish.  I talk too much for that.