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It’s likely that any list of names of the half dozen greatest leaders of all time would place Jesus near the top.

We learn a lot about leadership from Jesus. But his method, style, priorities and programmes are far from a standard twenty-first century catalogue of criteria of the qualities of effective leadership.

While this weekend’s celebration of Jesus’ triumphant entry to Jerusalem certainly does match a modern image of a successful hero, the Holy Week pilgrimage follows our hero through misunderstandings, denial, betrayal, abandonment by his closest followers, to suffering, and being executed as a criminal.

Clearly Jesus’ style of leadership was different, unexpected and unlikely, certainly counter-cultural.

At times he even seems to be going out of his way to aggravate the influential and respectable people of the day.

Today a candidate for a leadership position who took Jesus message and style literally would not be taken seriously and would be unlikely to make it through any selection process.

Candidates for positions of leadership who promote and embrace the teaching of Jesus – blessed are the poor and spirit, sell all you own and give your last penny to the poor, forgive your enemy and do good to those who hate you – probably don’t stand a great chance of getting seats in senates.

Why?

Because we forget that Jesus IS the ultimate leader and HIS style is the only method that demonstrates mature and convincing and contagious leadership.

I’ve been thinking about this in these weeks of Pope Francis’ illness, with many people commenting that he is clearly too unwell to be an effective leader.

I understand…

…but perhaps we are trapped in an understanding of leadership which has the captain of the club or the country (or conclave) as the strongest, fittest, loudest and most charismatic in the community.

That’s not Francis at the moment, nor was it Jesus in Holy Week.

And its not the model for priestly leadership given by the patron of all priests,Jean Vianney, considered to be a model of priestly zeal because his focus was not on leading from the front, but in his shyness, and psychological struggles he chose to simply be with and stay with Jesus,.

St. Jean Vianney the curè d’Ars took Jesus not only seriously but also literally and sought above all else not to lead but to follow Jesus THE leader wherever HE led.

This weekend I’m led to Timaru and look forward to celebrating the 10.30 Mass at St. Thomas’s. It will be good as always for me to begin Holy Week by connecting with my South Canterbury roots.

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Send your date and time to add to the list, and just turn up at at one of the advertised gatherings, just one hour, focussing on where we are encountering Christ.

CHRISTCHURCH
Monday 14 April 10.00am (& every Monday)
Moku cafe, Bush Inn Centre Waimairi Road.
Invitation from Trish

PETONE
Thursday 17 April 10am
at Faith & Co.
313 Jackson St, Petone
Invitation from Kath