Saw Equity a while back, a movie, about the ruthless world of IPO offerings, hedge funds, and the idol of money.
It's not a good movie (in my opinion). Don't see it.
But there was a line near the end of the movie that grabbed me. As the lead character, Naomi Bishop confronted her colleague (and lover) Michael Conner for betraying her, Conner turns to her and smirks: "It's all just a game, isn't it?"
'It's all just a game'- what does that mean?
It means: we live life not truly serving each other, but using each other -- to advance our needs and agenda -- as a ways/means of preserving and elevating our ego.
Frankly, I feel political leaders, in particular, 'game us' continually, routinely. That certainly was true of Richard Nixon in the midst of the Watergate Scandal ("I am not a crook") and Bill Clinton in the midst of the Monica Lewinsky Scandal ("I did not have sex with that woman.").
And we're being 'gamed' now, on a variety of leader-fronts. The specifics vary, but, we are being used, as many leaders (not just political leaders) jockey and maneuver, not to advance the common good, but their own agenda, career-path, pocketbook, and ideology.
The way forward?
Changing our expectations of leaders, no longer asking them to gain for us and our wants/bias, at the expense of others -- but instead -- asking them to truly serve all, beginning with the least, lost, and lonely.
And we needn't look far to find a leader who, indeed, did just that: Jesus.
In fact, Jesus was the first leader who modeled: life is not a game, but rather, a gift to help people. To genuinely: support -- assist -- lift -- raise -- serve -- the deepest needs, of all people -- not just the well-connected, able, and powerful.
It's interesting: until the time of Jesus, leadership centered around self-promotion and accomplishment. Why it was not until the advent of Christ, that leadership shifted to self-denial and servanthood. As John Dickson notes: "Jesus...[said] that true greatness consists in self-sacrifice--his impending martyrdom being the prime example.." [John Dickson, Humilitas. (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2011) p. 104.]
But a boastful Greco-Roman world didn't see it that way. As Dickson goes on to point out:
One who is humble, who doesn't 'game' -- but rather, serves -- is one who:
Not for our glory -- but the glory of God!
And we're being 'gamed' now, on a variety of leader-fronts. The specifics vary, but, we are being used, as many leaders (not just political leaders) jockey and maneuver, not to advance the common good, but their own agenda, career-path, pocketbook, and ideology.
The way forward?
Changing our expectations of leaders, no longer asking them to gain for us and our wants/bias, at the expense of others -- but instead -- asking them to truly serve all, beginning with the least, lost, and lonely.
And we needn't look far to find a leader who, indeed, did just that: Jesus.
In fact, Jesus was the first leader who modeled: life is not a game, but rather, a gift to help people. To genuinely: support -- assist -- lift -- raise -- serve -- the deepest needs, of all people -- not just the well-connected, able, and powerful.
It's interesting: until the time of Jesus, leadership centered around self-promotion and accomplishment. Why it was not until the advent of Christ, that leadership shifted to self-denial and servanthood. As John Dickson notes: "Jesus...[said] that true greatness consists in self-sacrifice--his impending martyrdom being the prime example.." [John Dickson, Humilitas. (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2011) p. 104.]
But a boastful Greco-Roman world didn't see it that way. As Dickson goes on to point out:
"Opponents of early Christianity happily...[saw] the crucifixion as incontrovertible evidence that Jesus was a pretender to greatness...Christians [however, took a different slant]. For them, the crucifixion was not evidence of Jesus' humiliation...but proof that greatness can express itself in humility...the noble choice to lower yourself for the sake of others..." [John Dickson, Humilitas. (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2011) p. 106-107.]The first written evidence of this reorientation is Paul's counsel in Philippians 2:2ff.
"...Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of others." (Philippians 2:3-4)To 'cement' this realignment, Paul next lifts up the example of Jesus, 'singing' a popular hymn of the early church. "[Thus] in your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus..." (Philippians 2:5)
Practically speaking, what do such humility and servanthood look like? For me, a number of specific lifestyle markers come to mind."...Who being in the very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death -- even death on a cross. Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowlege that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God, the Father..." (Philippians 2:5-11).
- Assures hurting people: "I'll do 'whatever it takes' to help you, to bring relief to your situation." "I'll go the 'second mile.'" (Matthew 5:41)
- Sacrifices for a larger cause, beyond self (Mark 10:43-45)
- Is not concerned, who 'gets the credit,' but focuses on a central goal: of lifting the lonely, helping the hurting, reaching the unreachable (Luke 22:24ff; Matthew 25:34-40)
- Does not focus on outward appearance or gain, but on inward advancement, being 'poor in spirit.' (1 Samuel 16:7, Matthew 5:3)
- Focuses, overall, on advancing God's Kingdom, which translates into 'the common good', apart from any 'politics' or ideology (Matthew 6:33, Romans 12)
- Lives to give all Glory of God; not I, but Christ (1 Corinthians 10:31ff; Galatians 2:20).
Sounds refreshing, doesn't it. And so, let's call all leaders to stop gaming, and truly serve God and the common good.
With regularity, leaders call upon God to bless America. But in actuality, they have it all wrong. The call is upon America -- us -- to bless God.
During the War Between the States, Abraham Lincoln met with a group of clergy who were determined to claim God's providence and favor on the Union cause. "Mr. President." they implored. "Let us pray that God is on our side." To which Lincoln replied: "No, gentlemen, let us pray that we are on God’s side.”
To be on God's side is to surrender our ideology, and adopt His priority of sacrifice, and not self. To adopt, in the words of Paul "...the same mindset as Christ Jesus..." (Phillippians 2:5).
Reflecting on a current, prominent leader, Randy Alcorn noted:
“My main problem, is not that [he]...says what he thinks...My problem is with what he actually thinks: especially his obsession with outward appearance, sexiness, superficiality, wealth, his own status and accomplishments, and his quickness to berate and insult people and seek revenge on his critics. (emphasis added- http://www.epm.org/blog/2016/Mar/21/donald-trump-character
Now in fairness to the leader Alcorn references, such hubris marks the thinking of many leaders -- including religious leaders.
And so, 'across the leadership spectrum,' we need a new way of thinking, that does not 'game,' but gifts, without promotion of self, but promotion, of the common good -- 'doing whatever it takes' to truly help and rescue, the least, lost and lonely.
And so, 'across the leadership spectrum,' we need a new way of thinking, that does not 'game,' but gifts, without promotion of self, but promotion, of the common good -- 'doing whatever it takes' to truly help and rescue, the least, lost and lonely.
Not for our glory -- but the glory of God!
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