Leadership Courage (part ten)
A Culture of Cowardice (part five)
I’m a leadership coach for pastors. This is our tenth segment on Leadership Courage, and our fifth exposing a Culture of Cowardice that’s dominated much of the North American Church.
In the Gospels read just the words in red—and see how often Jesus challenged people. He did it all the time. Jesus stood as an interruption to whatever came between his hearers and the Kingdom of God.
Jesus constantly provoked, unsettled, undermined, and challenged those he was with—especially those closest to him.
Jesus loved them enough to offend and oppose what would harm them—even when they cherished it as good, or nice, or comfortable. He loved the rich young ruler enough to spell out exactly what it’d take to inherit eternal life. [Mk 10:21] Love motivated Jesus’ challenge. Love—not for himself, his comfort or reputation—but love for others moved Christ to risk offending them.
I assert that love motivates you to withdraw from challenging and opposing the nonsense and mediocrity your parishioners hold as true. Trouble is, it’s not love for them that keeps you from goring their sacred cows of compromise. No.
It is self-love that fuels your commitment to censor your voice, pastor.
Isn’t it?
You don’t want to put up with the resistance. Why poke a hornet’s nest? You’re already on thin ice with several stakeholders in the church. Don’t rock the boat. You’re tired enough. Besides, they make you pay whenever your preaching gets too personal.
Thank God that Jesus didn’t fear offending the woman at the well—maybe her whole village would’ve perished–had he played it safe. What if Jesus chose to quench his zeal [Ps 69:9, Jn 2:17] rather than go after the powerful and popular merchants in the temple?
Courageous leadership is leadership with heart.
With your heart fully exposed, fully engaged, fully at-stake. There is no virtue in being a jerk. I’m not advocating that you be oppositional just because you can. Nor am I suggesting that you blast away at whomever and whatever bothers you, just to get something off your chest.
That’s selfish.
To risk your own security, your comfort, the way others regard you for another’s benefit—that is love!
To stand powerfully resolute, because of love for someone else, in the face of ridicule and rejection—is exactly what Jesus did!
Didn’t he?
A timely reminder for me. Had a conversation today about someone upset in our church about the fact that we’re changing our Christmas program to be geared towards those outside the church. We’re asking questions like: Where is God in my pain and disappointment? And why does Christmas/ the Incarnation even matter? They were angry that we’re not having a ‘happy’ Christmas service filled with songs that she and the traditional members want. This post helped me to see that it’s not about making people happy, but proclaiming the revolutionary message of Jesus in the midst of the pain and suffering we’re all swimming in.