What is a Christian to do in times
like these? Police and crowd clashes with individuals hurt and killed. I heard
on the radio this morning about two individuals fighting over a parking space,
one was stabbed and the other was shot to death. Civilization as we know it no
longer seems civil. What is a Christian to do?
The
Apostle James gives us a new perspective that these desperate, confusing times
call for. We need to ask God for “wisdom from above.” Among other things, this
type of wisdom is characterized by adiakritos
(ἀδιάκριτος) which means “impartial,” “without
discrimination,” “without prejudice or favoritism” (James 3:17). This word is
used in the New Testament this one time, and it is singularly important that it
is in the context of answering the question, “Who is wise and understanding
among you?”
What the world needs now is wise and
understanding people who characterize in every attitude, action and behavior
what it means to be adiakritos. Christians modeling “wisdom from
above” in the marketplace is desperately needed. Discrimination, prejudice and
favoritism have no place in the Christian’s life. James calls it “sin.”
In
Proverbs 25:1, the author identifies the “proverbs of Solomon” as literally the
“impartial (adiakritos ) instructions” of Solomon.
Regardless of ethnicity, tribe, country or region, his collection of “impartial
instructions” applies to everyone. Proverbs by their very nature are universal
in application.
Impartiality,
without discrimination, without prejudice, without favoritism—how sorely needed
these attributes are needed in our culture on a daily basis! The implications
for transformational Leadership are
immense and myriad. To my mind, at least 3 fundamental aspects of Christian
leaders in action need to be highlighted here. No doubt, as I mention these
three, other fundamental aspects will come to your mind. But at least these are
a good place to start.
First,
Christian transformational leaders need to be sensitive to each person’s living
context. Over 30 years ago, Charles V. Gerkin published a book entitled, The Living Human Document. In this work
he maintained that pastoral ministry and Christian leadership best functioned
in a “hermeneutical mode.” It was exactly the same approach one would take in exegeting
an ancient text. The context is crucial. The cultural, historical, literary and
grammatical aspects of a given text give us an entry into that original world
to understand and apply it. The same thing is true about people. A person’s
private context is crucial. Christian leaders need to listen long and hard to
hear a person’s own cultural, historical, personal and situational context.
“Wise and understanding” transformational leaders make this a priority.
Second,
Christian transformational leaders admit to their own prejudices and biases. We
all have them. Spiritual maturity is evidenced by our own willingness to
identify, admit and correct them. Serious research admits to its own biases,
raises them to transparency, and suggests how they limit certain findings. This
is true of Christian leaders. If we only admit to our own biases, make them
transparent to ourselves and others, we would be more alert to how they limit
our own effectiveness. One brief example will suffice here. On my part for years,
I realized I had a prejudice/disrespect for people who told me they did not
like to read. Over the years God has had to show me, work on me, and humble me
so that I realize that not every person processes information the same way.
Only then could I (with an open heart and open ear) listen to individuals
struggle with their own issues, and confess that they did not want to read the
material I gave them. I had to learn how to choose a different “hermeneutical
mode” to understand and respond. “Wise and understanding” transformational
leaders make this a priority.
Third,
Christian transformational leaders believe in the intrinsic value of every
single person they interact with. Every individual on the face of the earth is
made in the image of God, the Imago Dei of
personal existence. Because of this original declaration in the Genesis
narrative, it becomes the fundamental foundation for each Christian
transformational leader to desire and pray for every single person to be
transformed into the Imago Christi. This
re-creation believes that no person is beyond God’s saving grace. All one has
to do is read the apostle Paul’s story. He believed he was the “chief, worst of
sinners.” And yet, he envisioned himself to be a model for how God’s
transformative grace could work. Christian transformational leaders believe in
the impossible, and can dream of God’s gracious work in the lives of those who
either give up on themselves, or believe that others have given up on
them. “Wise and understanding”
transformational leaders make this a priority.
May
God grant each one of us in our role of transformational leaders the “wisdom
from above” for a world down here!
In Christian love, Curtis
