Crestrider, Hope-giver & Story Nudger...

“The absolute ever-changing given in any management system system is how tricky it is to guide any complex human activity within the even more complex systems of the planet with imperfect understanding, lack of foresight & high momentum.”

A leader is a crestrider, a hope-giver & a story nudger ! A leader helps people tell their story, creating safe places which allow for the creative and frank sharing of ideas. A leader inspires & creates energy – always striving to empower those who he leads. A leader’s integrity is born from self-awareness that is immersed in humility & coated with the reality of an imperfect world. Her constancy comes from a center that is comfortable with divergence & diversity. A leader is uncompromising yet ultimately flexible because he discerns he can only control himself & unleash those who follow him. A good leader is straining to hear from the past, those she works alongside in the now – so she can intuit what might be in the future. A leader is led by his deep spirituality & relationship with his Lord.

I first penned these words in March 2001. I was working in Africa at the time and the team to which I belonged was contemplating the appointment of a new team leader. I wrote in response to the quote I extacted from something I was reading. It seemed to capture for me something of the reality that is just below the surface of leadership. Looking back at it with some space in between, some of these things I wrote still connect, particularly in missional contexts while others leave me wondering...

Missional Image II 'Bride of Christ'

Yesterday I was reading a blog post titled ‘Anthropomorphising the Church’ by Mark Porthouse at http://www.sundaypapers.org.uk & he got me thinking about the metaphor of the church as the bride of Christ. Far from being a tired image of institutionalism, I found myself being energised by the possibilities of this metaphor.
 
I know there can be problems with mixing metaphors but stay with me. The bride of Christ reminds me of a similar image in Ezekiel 16:4-14. Israel is depicted as an abandoned baby girl flailing about in her own blood, with umbilical left uncut. It is an image of weakness & absolute vulnerability. Yet the image builds to one of extravagant love, of wholeness & completion. God is depicted taking care of the baby through to womanhood. Then when you think God’s responsibilities are ended, His love extends even further by taking her as His bride & lavishing her with dazzling gifts.
 
The power of metaphors is in their potential to evoke new possibilities in a way that defies habitual thinking & dogma. For me, metaphors are the perfect antidote to the baggage of the rigid institution & tired old habits precisely because of their ability to generate creative zones of anti-structure around themselves.
 
David Bosch initially brought the image of Ezekiel 16 to my attention, when he used it to describe the missional Heart of God. I want to belong to a company of disciples in whose presence it is safe to be weak & vulnerable - who are a significant missional presence in the world because they are regularly being smitten by the extravagant love of God. I want to be this kind of blushing bride of Christ. Outwards & downwards !