Leadership

Friends,

It is understandable that in times of insecurity there is an inclination to seek and to follow powerful leadership: strong willed, confident leadership that knows what it wants; masculine leadership that exercises incisiveness and assurance of outcomes; leadership that knows how to manage privilege and wealth; leadership that guarantees control of a convenient status quo; a commander-and-chief. Trump's inaugural speech represented this model of leadership, and we are all coping with the reality that the majority of American people were apparently willing to accept this characterization of a leadership model Trump successfully projected. 

So let’s be honest: This assertion of powerful leadership does have its appeal. It has attracted popular support throughout the ages as societies and nations seek security from life’s inevitable disasters, political turmoil, violent threats, and long-standing grievances, and Trump provided his populist interpretation of a contemporary crisis and promised to address it. We can only hope that his strong arm approach provides only a short term solution for what is in reality a long term problem of a disturbingly dysfunctional Congress. And we can also only hope that long term autocratic and chaotic governance cannot hold for very long, even by the most powerful personality. Sooner or later unilateral societal control must face the powerful reality of humanity’s resistance to oppression and the people will inevitably and assuredly rise up to oppose it, hopefully nonviolently. 

My point is that there are times when a firm hand of control may be needed, but it must also be accountable and limited. And this absence of accountability, the need for check and balance, may be a serious, dangerous threat when the government allows unfettered executive orders such as have  become the norm now under both parties. I would welcome a firmer, more disciplined form of democratic leadership dedicated to organizing a formidable, focused campaign to rectify wealth inequality, health care, and our militarism within the democratic system. But unfortunately that’s not the way our democracy usually works. If we are to democratically respect our diversity and competing needs, we are obligated to use the often frustrating, often dysfunctional, but still necessary democratic consultative process to enact laws that can actually address deep-seated problems and provide peace and justice for all. And I will always believe this is possible, even as our federal government often seems so hapless and moribund. 

But autocratic rule is not the answer as we are now learning within the first days of the Trump administration. Authoritarian decisions will always support self interest, not the common good. The ultimate goal of the oligarch is to consolidate power and privilege with little or no accountability without regard for the public interest. I do believe the Trumpian era, however, may serve as a shake up. The clash of divergent value systems and understandings between democratic and authoritarian governmental leadership will force us all to evaluate how we ultimately want to live together - as long as we still have that choice.

Here’s a closing note of encouragement. I read this week that some Christian churches are touting a more strident model of leadership than the model of Jesus’ servant leadership. There are those who would prefer to honor a powerful king like the biblical Cyrus than a Jesus whose core message was inclusive compassion and nonviolence. So I was especially pleased with an alternative model of powerful Christian leadership offered this past week by the Episcopal bishop of Washington. Using the sermon as the only means of communication that Trump could not interrupt, she spoke directly to the president and vice president about the importance of mercy and the biblical emphasis on care of the poor. She spoke so eloquently, humbly, yet with clear authority a message of compassion that all of us need to hear, support, and honor. She exemplified a compelling model of powerful moral leadership I want to follow. Thank you Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde. 

We all have much to ponder these days. Faithful and loving pondering to you.

Peace,
Tom