Christians CAN Think Deeply...and Should!

Following the Deepest Thinker of All

In the Gospels, Jesus never seems worried about the credentials of those He calls.  Male or female, educated or not so educated, quiet or loud: all types are chosen by Jesus.  Once they are chosen, though, they are challenged.  They are challenged to think and live outside of the cultural and theological norms with which they are comfortable.  The early Jewish followers of Jesus were challenged to welcome and even embrace Gentiles once thought to be unclean.  Wealthy households filled with servants were challenged as Christians to treat those servants as “brothers and sisters” in Christ (see Ephesians 5 and the Book of Philemon, for instance), even though this was contrary to the ideas of the day.  People once seemingly destined to go through life voiceless and uneducated (like Mary, the Mother of Jesus, for instance) rose up to become respected leaders and key influences of Christianity. 

This all flowed from the approach of Jesus Himself, who proved to be one who thinks and loves deeply.

You Have Heard it Said….

The Sermon of the Mount, often called the cornerstone of Jesus’ teaching ministry, contains several instances of this phrase: “You have heard it said….”  This phrase is then followed by some theological, relational, or even political saying of the day.  For instance, Jesus says things like, "You have heard it said, 'You shall not kill'"; or, "You have heard it said, 'Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.'" After this, Jesus then goes on to say, “But I tell you….” This is where Jesus challenges his audience to rethink an issue or even to think more deeply than they have before, looking beyond the surface arguments or the popular perceptions, or even the “spin” on an issue and get to the heart of the intent of what they think they know.  For example, Jesus says, "You have heard it said long ago, 'You shall not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgement.' But I tell you that anyone who is enraged with a brother or sister will be subject to judgement...."      

This characteristic of Jesus to challenge His followers to think deeply encourages me.  It encourages me for two reasons.

Two Reasons Why Deep Thinking Christianity is the Best Kind

When Jesus challenges us to think deeply and to go beyond the surface and spin of our day I am relieved.  

First, I am relieved because Jesus’ challenge is for everyone.  Though I have a Ph.D. in theology, I am particularly encouraged that one does not have to have a Ph.D. in anything in order to think deeply about the things of God and about truth. 

When I recently helped pour and spread concrete on a job site, though I was a bit out of my accustomed element, the professionals who surrounded me and some other volunteers were able to help us get a better grasp of what we were doing and to lead us toward a good finished product.  On the surface, things looked simple: the truck pours, and then we spread it around to cover the ground inside the forms.  But once the concrete started pouring, we novices learned that there is much more to it than that.  Even though what I described was the ultimate goal, getting there involved more technique and more care and time than most of us had imagined.  We were challenged to rethink and to think more deeply about what I now know to be the real art of pouring concrete (and it really is an art!).  

In the same way that someone who does not spend a lot of time pouring concrete can benefit from those who do, so too can anyone interested in following Christ benefit from fellow Christians who can come alongside them and challenge them to think more deeply – and even rethink some items – about their faith.  That is what Christian mentors, pastors, leaders, and Christian friends are called to do, and it is why ministers in particular are often required by the Church to spend more time in study.  Extra time in study does not necessarily make one a better Christian.  Rather, it just helps us (ideally) to be part of longer, deeper, and hopefully thoughtful conversations about the implications of living the Christian life.  Everyone is called to that kind of living, whether we have spent years studying the Bible or not.  We are “iron sharpening iron,” as the Bible says, and that means that in the process, some things are cut away and reshaped.

A second reason I am thankful that Christianity and Christ in particular calls us to think deeply is that we are in a world of sound bites and propaganda.  That second word, propaganda, may sound harsh at first, but that is exactly what happens often in the transfer of information.  Propaganda happens when information is shared selectively and with a specific agenda that leaves out elements of the information that might counter that particular agenda.  With that definition in mind, it becomes clearer that much of what passes for news and balanced commentary is little more than propaganda.  The biggest danger of propaganda is that it insists on simplicity.  Everything is boiled down to simple phrases, answers, and slogans.  Everything is either “for” or “against” the motive or argument behind the propaganda.  For example, immigration reform is often spun as either “protect our jobs” (meaning American jobs) or as “let people do the jobs that most Americans won’t do.”  Both phrases address a little bit of factual information, but neither does the whole argument justice.  And neither phrase comes close to addressing the deeper theological and biblical issues in regard to welcoming strangers, hospitality, care and protection of loved ones, etc.  Every time I hear those kinds of slogans, whether in regard to immigration or some other controversial issue, I tend to be haunted by the words of Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount: “You have heard it said _____, but I tell you __________.”  It makes me want to take a longer look and have a deeper discussion about the issue at hand, so that I do not risk missing the heart of Jesus in the midst of these debates. 

A Long Line of Deep Thinkers

So, the next time Fox News, MSNBC, or CNN presents an issue.  Or the next time your favorite talk radio host – whether from the left or the right – begins to spin and defend a perspective, my prayer is that you will remember that we Christians think otherworldly thoughts about this world.  In other words, we come from a long line a deep thinkers who follow a Savior who alienated BOTH the Left and Right of His day, so much so that they crucified Him.  Some of these deep thinkers were educated: Paul, Augustine, Aquinas, Luther, Calvin, Wesley, etc.  Some of these were relatively uneducated: Peter and most of the earliest followers of Christ.  But all of those who were truly devoted to having Christ’s Kingdom come and His will be done on earth as it is in heaven challenged themselves and those around them not to settle for the propaganda of their day.  They made decisions with both head and heart.  They questioned and studied with whatever tools they had available so that their answers and their approach clearly distinguished the kingdoms of this world from the Kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ.  Whether we are trained theologians and ministers or not, as followers of Jesus Christ, we owe it to our Lord and to those who came before us to do no less. 

Christians can think deeply…and we should!

Defining the "L" Word (Leadership)

Who to Listen To?

It is popular for business and ministry types (I am much more the latter than the former, though I have an undergraduate degree in business) to write books and give definitions of “leadership.”  One can take courses in many disciplines, including seminary disciplines, that deal with the topic of leadership.  As an adjunct professor at several seminaries and colleges over the past sixteen years, I have been asked to teach some of those kinds of courses: The Pastor as Leader, Leadership and Character Development, and Leadership in Christian Ministry, etc.  This is after sitting through courses as an undergraduate business major and as a seminary student that addressed similar topics.  I know educators, administrators, and even engineers who have taken these kinds of courses.  It seems that being a leader is a big deal across the disciplines.  It seems that there is a deep desire to lead and to acquire skills and techniques that help us lead well.  Lord knows that we pastors sit through many seminars and hear many questions regarding our “leadership ability” or “leadership techniques.”  I have hear more than one pastor and denominational leader say something like, “It all comes down to leadership.” 

Conflicting Definitions

Every time I hear that last phrase (“it all comes down to leadership”), I think back on the experiences I have had in seminars, meetings, and classrooms wrestling with a variety of definitions of the “L” word.  And though it is clear that it must be very important to be a leader, it seems that there are a number of definitions as to what that should look like.  It is getting to where an informed person can tell which brand of leadership is going to be put forth by the authors used by the seminar leaders or professors.  Are we going to look at leadership as a global phenomenon?  If so, then expect books by the likes of Thomas Friedman (author of such best-sellers as The World is Flat). Is leadership a “top-down” kind of proposition, where a strong figurehead must cast a vision and then delegate power, while weeding out those who just don’t produce?  If so, then expect a heavy reliance on those associated with John Maxwell (the former pastor and current leadership guru, whose bestsellers include 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership) and Jim Collins (Good to Great).  Does leadership rely upon critical analysis of data and judging future paradigm shifts?  If so, then the ever popular Christian marketer George Barna, or the seemingly ageless Leonard Sweet can help. 

There are some helpful and practical things to be learned from all of these writers and their approaches to leadership, but in recent years, if I am asked to teach something in regard to leadership, my thoughts lean in a different direction.

The writers I mention above have helped many people, both in business and in ministry (and other disciplines) to develop good leadership habits.  And I have found something helpful from each one of them and from many others.  However, the overall approach to most of those I have already mentioned contains areas of conflict when I begin to re-examine the approach of Jesus as “leader.”  It seems that many Christians in leadership positions – whether in religious or “secular” settings – begin with assumptions regarding leadership that I do not see as starting points in Jesus’ life and ministry.  For instance, many leadership gurus tout the importance of “success” as a key measuring stick for real leadership: can you produce the big numbers?, etc.  Yet, I look at Jesus, this carpenter from the middle of nowhere, who calls a rag tag bunch of guys together (only 12 at first) and then spends an inordinate amount of time with them before they are scattered.  Now, one can say that a good leader leaves a legacy, which Jesus certainly did. But, it appears that the way Jesus went about that “legacy” (over a billion followers after 2,000 years) does not match any traditional leadership book or course I have ever seen!  In fact, the successful people of Jesus’ day were the ones that wanted him dead!  And the people who had very little in the way of resume’ strength were the ones that became the foundation for the Kingdom of God on earth. 

Other Voices

As I began to say earlier, I am listening to other voices about leadership these days.  That is not to say that I presume to know more than Maxwell or Collins or Barna or the like.  I don’t.  They know more about delegation, motivation, and lots of other things than I will probably ever know, and I respect them for it.  However, several years ago I began introducing other voices into Christian ministry and leadership courses that I teach.  Voices like the late Henri Nouwen, whose book In the Name of Jesus: Reflections on Christian Leadership, has chapter titles like: “From Relevance to Prayer”.  Eugene Peterson, author of the Message translation of the Bible, was writing books to help “correct” (in his words) the notion that pastors are called to be business managers or leadership experts.  One of Peterson’s best known (and more than slightly controversial) books for pastors is called The Contemplative Pastor, in which he states forthrightly that for a pastor to simply keep himself or herself “busy” all the time could actually be sinful!  As I read those words years ago, I could see many leadership writers and their faithful disciples (many of whom were colleagues of mine or leaders of mine) cringing!  Being busy, being important, being the one “in charge,” being the goal-setting, excellence-demanding, highly organized, smartly dressed, supremely confident “leader” seemed to be the ideal way to be a pastor, according to the business models many of us were given in seminary and elsewhere.  But then there were these other voices, and in those voices, I heard the voice of Jesus most clearly. 

William Willimon, who (before he became a bishop and began leaning a bit too heavily on those other models I mentioned above) wrote books reminding pastors that our job definition is not to be caught up in models like “salesperson”, or manager, or even therapist.  Rather, we are to be shepherds who proclaim the humble truths of Christ and let God have God’s way in our weakness!  Could this be leadership, after all? 

What to Do?  What to Be?

What are we to do with all of these models and definition?  I think that, for the Christian, we should always be asking, “What are we to be?” By saying this, my bias toward the “other voices” I mention above will become obvious.  I simply do not think that leadership in the style of Jesus is all about technique, though we can all benefit from good techniques. 

Who was Jesus?  Jesus acted like God the Father acts in Scripture.  How does God act?  God takes initiative.  God speaks first when we are lost (Gen. 3), God acts first when we are unable to act (“While you were yet sinners, Christ died for you,” says the New Testament), and God moves first when relationships are broken.  While worldly leaders are dismissing those who are not going to contribute to the bottom line, Jesus sits for hours and chats with them (see the Woman at the Well in John 4).  Jesus even seeks these kinds of people out!

Peter, the first leader in the early church, certainly would not have had the kind of resume’ to write a book or teach a course on leadership, but for better or for worse, Peter took initiative.  And as Peter was transformed and corrected by the love of Christ, Peter’s initiative taking became more in line with the will of God, and God allowed Peter to become a true leader.  Again, it is not that tactics, strategies, and techniques would not have helped Peter.  Peter certainly could have benefitted from From Good to Great (Collins).  However, it seems that when Jesus goes looking for leaders, He leads with transformation and works on the technique later. 

One more thing about Jesus and leadership: Jesus has a different definition of success.  Success for Jesus is about faithfulness.  It is true that some of God’s faithful people also attain worldly fame and prominence (see King David).  However, most of those who lead with love, initiative, and who seek integrity by letting God define success do not grab the spotlight (see Barnabas in the Book of Acts and later in II Timothy, for instance). 

Conclusion

I know the techniques that the books talk about.  I know the so-called “irrefutable laws” of leadership espoused by the gurus of the day – Christian and non-Christians.  However, in the long run, I do not see those approaches having the influence that Christ’s humble and sometimes seemingly reckless ways continue to have on the world.  Jesus really is not the kind of person whose life would be used as a model for many modern approaches to leadership, and that includes many in Christian circles who are the most sought after leadership writers and teachers today.  I confess that I am glad about this in regard to Jesus: I am glad that even Jesus could not manage all those techniques and irrefutable laws, as powerful and wonderful as He was.  I am sure that I will continue to benefit from some of the leadership gurus.  But I am being transformed by the Nouwens, the Petersons, and even the ancient voices who saw Christian leadership as less of a technique or commanding presence than a life sacrificially lived and centered in the initiative-taking love of Christ.