G K Chesterton…. on finding a leader
13 February 2009
4 Comments
If our faith comments on government at all, its comment must be this – that the man should rule who does not think he can rule. Carlyle’s hero may say, ” I will be king”; but the Christian saint must say “Nolo episcopari.” (I do not wish to be bishop). If the great paradox of Christianity means anything, it means this – that we must take the crown in our hand, and go hunting in dry places and dark corners of the earth until we find the one man who feels himself unfit to wear it. Carlyle was quite wrong; we have not got to crown the exceptional man who knows he can rule. Rather we must crown the much more exceptional man who knows he can’t. (GK Chesterton, Orthodoxy p 126.)
Good stuff my friend. Question though… what if he really can’t lead?
J
This is SO true! My dad says that a true leader is a reluctant one.
chris,
i agree with you, and assume that chesterton was drawing on the verse: “let not many of you be aspire to be teachers…” and other humility-inspiring Scriptures; so what of young men inhabiting the pulpit and delivering “wisdom” and “leadership” to the people of God while older men sit in the pews and nod and smile…?
trev
Trev,
Your comment reminds me of a thought that comes to me occasionally when young men preach. I don’t have anything against young men preaching. Calling is important and God has used many young men. However, the process I have learned with older children has proved helpful in gaining insight on how to preach. The primary method of teaching with toddlers is the imperative, but as the kids grow, I have found that I have to “woo” them into the truth. I can’t just say, “that is just the way we do it.” I have to explain, be patient, reason with them, talk and talk and talk. But most importantly, I just can’t tell them to do something without the effort of “come let us reason together.” Much could be learned by preachers by raising young adults into sainthood. The tools are the same.
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