July 20 in 1969 (55 years ago), Neil Armstrong became the first person to walk on the moon: “The eagle has landed”; “one small step for a man...one giant leap for mankind." We salute the men and women whose leadership made this marvelous feat possible.
Next Friday the Summer Olympics begin in Paris, featuring more than 10,000 athletes. Imagine the excitement as they gather at the river Seine. On the other hand, you may have heard about an ex-athlete who told his doctor, “I feel terrible. A pot belly, bloodshot eyes…I'm a mess!” The doctor replied, “Well, the good news is you have perfect eyesight.” But that’s not an Olympic event.
The Word of God takes us back to the beginnings of the 6th century before Jesus, to Jeremiah. In a very unstable and chaotic period, the Hebrews lost everything they thought would endure. Here Jeremiah blamed the kings who were bad shepherds; they broke God’s covenant, and enriched themselves at the expense of others.
Jeremiah looks to a future shepherd-leader who will do the right thing. This prompts us to ask if we have the courage to stand up for what’s right.
Paul in his letter to the Christian community at Ephesus in Turkey speaks about the blessings God has bestowed upon us through Jesus Christ: friendship with God, peace, and reconciliation: virtues so many regions of the world cry out for today.
Paul may be asking whether we nurture our friendship with God through regular prayer and whether we strive to be peacemakers.
The Gospel portrays Jesus as the compassionate good shepherd: the leader who guides us toward our true purpose: eternal life. Many people, Jesus laments, wander through life aimlessly with little sense of purpose. Jesus says they are like sheep without a shepherd.
The theme of leadership weaves in and out of these passages.
In today's public arena, we may wonder where are the Lincolns, the Washingtons, the Roosevelts, the ML Kings?
An interesting book titled “Learning to Lead” describes at least five ingredients of leadership. Leaders communicate purpose in a way that galvanizes people. They generate trust because they are truthful. They have a clear vision of the future and get results. In other words, they have a “can do” attitude about the challenges in life.
Above all, leadership involves an ethical sense of what’s right and wrong. Leadership ultimately is about integrity.
On a certain scale, all of us are leaders, in our families, our workplaces, our communities. So, how do we cope with the challenges in life? Here's some food for thought from St. Paul.
First, talk with God as a close friend. Bring our concerns to God in prayer.
Second, trust that God is ultimately in charge. Faith means trusting in God's unconditional love for us. Yes, it's hard to trust if things seem to be going wrong. But think about St. Paul, who was at one time imprisoned, apparently unable to do what he was called to do, which was to proclaim the “good news.” Jesus Christ lives. And because he lives, we live. God abides in us and we abide in God forever.
It must have been very difficult for Paul to see what good might possibly come out of these obstacles or potholes in life. Read all about them in Acts, chapters 24-26. Yet, as Paul wrote to the Romans, “We know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him.”
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.
You and I 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. Thank you that through all of our problems, challenges and hassles in life, you work for the good of those who love you.
Yes, seize every opportunity that God gives us to do the right thing. Keep praying, keep trusting in God, keep looking for opportunities to serve God and never, ever give up. Pray, as we face challenges, that God will give us the grace to persevere, to keep calm and carry on doing the right thing.
All of us have the potential to do great things for God. Begin with ordinary things. Pray that God's word will inspire us to see Jesus more clearly in our lives, to love him more dearly and to follow him more nearly.
With Jesus as our guide, we can indeed serve our fellow human beings with purpose, vision and integrity, generating trust and gaining results for them.
