 |
| Jesus as our shepherd, our guide, our leader |
The Gospel according to Mark portrays Jesus as the compassionate good shepherd or leader who guides us toward our true purpose: eternal life beyond this earthly life. But unfortunately many people, Jesus laments, are wandering about aimlessly with little sense of purpose. Jesus says they are like sheep without a shepherd.
The theme of leadership—or the lack thereof—weaves in and out of these two passages. In our political arena today, we may be wondering where are the Washingtons, Lincolns and Roosevelts of yesteryear.
Yes, what is leadership? An interesting book titled “Learning to Lead” describes “what makes a leader.” Leaders possess at least five ingredients. They communicate purpose in a way that galvanizes people. They generate trust because they are truth tellers. They have a clear vision of the future and get results. Yes, leaders have a “can do” attitude. Think, for example, of the 12 children and their soccer coach in the Thailand cave. The scuba divers who rescued them exercised leadership. Above all, leadership involves moral character, an ethical sense of what's right and what's wrong. In the final analysis, leadership is all about integrity. And that's what many kings of ancient Israel lacked.
We too are leaders, in our families, in our workplaces, in our community. And so, how do we cope with the challenges of life? Here's some advice.
First, talk to God about the challenges or problems we face as we would with a friend. Bring them to God in prayer.
Second, trust that God is ultimately in control. Faith means trusting in God's unconditional love for us. Yes, it's hard to trust in God when things seem to be going wrong. But think, for example, about St. Paul. It must have been very difficult for him to see what good might come as he faced a trial on false charges. Read all about it in Acts 24-26.
Yet, as Paul wrote, “We know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him.” (Romans 8:28) Paul's imprisonment resulted in him being sent to Rome where he preached the gospel, precisely what he wanted to do in the first place. Vast numbers of people have been inspired by Paul's story.
We may never know, in this life, how God uses us to achieve his purposes. Perhaps our prayer should be: Lord, thank you that you are with us. Through all the challenges of life, you work for the good of those who love you.
Keep praying, keep trusting in God, keep looking for opportunities to serve God and never, ever give up. Pray that God will give us the grace to persevere and carry on doing the right thing.
We have the potential to do great things for God. And with Jesus as our guide, our shepherd and our leader, we will indeed be leaders with purpose and vision, who generate trust and achieve results, men and women of moral character like Jesus, our good shepherd, in today's Gospel.
