Then, because so many people were coming and going that
they did not even have a chance to eat, he said to them, "Come
with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest." Mark 6:31
When you were a small child, you may recall your parents telling you to “Stop, Look and Listen” as you approached an intersection to cross the street. Before you crossed the street, they wanted you to
Aaron fell
Aaron was approached by people, who asked him to "make us gods who shall go before us" (Exodus 32:1; ESV), while their leader, Moses, was gone for a meeting with God on Mt. Sinai, unexpectedly, for 40 long days. Aaron did not resist, instead, obliged them, almost immediately, with a well-publicized effort to make a golden calf for the nation to worship:
“Those rose trees aren’t looking very good. I wonder what’s happening to them?”
The lovely roses that had greeted us in our new home were no longer thriving. I grabbed a slender trunk and gently waggled it. Seconds later I stood there holding up a rootless plant. Something had eaten away the roots. Poor thing!
You are done with quarantine, lock-down, and social-distancing. Life as you knew it. Pre-COVID-19, is totally different. And not much to your liking. You miss your family, friends, and future. Your plans have changed, and your dreams have died. Loss is all around you. Yes, I get it. COVID chaos has affected my family, too. My sweet daughter and son-in-law have lost their jobs, dear Margie is losing her home, and my courageous friend Julie’s stepdad passed away after becoming infected with the coronavirus. How can we renew our hope during COVID-19?
This year, 2020, has taught us many things. Some of the things we likely wish we had not had to learn; but many of the things that came out are good things. We learned how to appreciate others for what they do for us, we learned how much we value spending time with those we love, we learned that we enjoy being in the presence of our loved ones, we learned that a phone call or text can make someone’s day, and we learned that life is valuable and sometimes taken for granted.
Leading is easy when things are going well; but when the train is derailed a leader’s response speaks loudly about their character; and it speaks volumes about their faith. “Faith and leadership go hand in hand, in that good leadership is not dependent upon one’s talents or gifts but upon one’s total surrender to God and dependence upon the Holy Spirit to amplify what God has given them.” Leadership is never needed more than during times of crisis, and now is one of those times.
You may have read those words in the title and thought, “I have nothing for which to be grateful or thankful! This is May 2020 and COVID-19 is still slowing down, changing my life and I don’t, and I won’t like it at all!” Ok, maybe, it’s not you but you know someone who is feeling that way.
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 (ESV) reminds us to “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”
Some people have a green thumb and others don’t. Those that do can grow plants and flowers that seem to flourish with life, color, and vibrancy. Leaders also fall into two categories. Those who flourish and those who don’t. What are some common traits of flourishing leaders? I believe what happened in the early church gives us clues to the traits of a flourishing leader.
The usually busy streets of Chicago are empty. The city responding, like so many others, with a lockdown. In the mist of the silence, WGN television reports on a lone voice singing “Hallelujah.” The local street performer, Andrew David said, “What is the purpose behind the performance? I realized that people are looking – in the midst of calamity – for peace.”
Our people must learn to devote themselves to doing what is good, in order
that they may provide for daily necessities and not live unproductive lives.
Titus 3:14 (NIV)
“Tomorrow's illiterate will not be the man who can't read; he will be
the man who has not learned how to learn." – Alvin Toffler
