Scripture Reflection: The Call to Lead is a Call to Serve

'Every man did what was right in his own sight'(Judges 17:6). Could ever a statement have been more true of Western culture?

BETHPAGE, TN (Catholic Online) - What is needed, is perspective. Discerning the times can be frightening, depressing, and if we are not careful, can lead to despair of ever seeing sweeping, life-giving change. But to see ourselves, our country, or our world in this way is to look through a keyhole, a limited view that prevents the responsible action a godly perspective offers. It is certainly an evil day we live in, but there is holy action we can, we must, take.

In Israel, it was the time of the judges, when "every man did what was right in his own sight" (Judges 17:6). Could ever a statement have been more true of Western culture and climate--individualism, relativism, modernism, and the myriad of other -isms that dictate slavery to self? Haven't we spent several generations, now, throwing off the "constraints" of authority and morality and law? Aren't we horrified by what we are reaping?

The Old Testament readings this week are from the Book of Judges, written to show the consequences of disobedience to God and the necessity of summoning a righteous king who would lead the people in godliness. In chapter nine's parable of the trees, the personification of the forest reveals that the truly noble trees, busy with self pursuits, rejected the call to leadership, which was finally conferred on an ignoble, thorny, uncultivated bramble bush (8-15).

The selected leader made a violent grab for power, a holocaust of his father's children, and the people participated by conferring the office of leadership on him. Quickly, however, those who vaulted him to sudden power, turn against him in a "spirit of ill will" allowed by God in a judgment on both parties who had sinned in persistent infidelity to Him and merited punishment. Both the people and the leader were destroyed.

Does anyone see the parallels here? Could God's word to us through his Church be more timely, more specific, more providential? What have we done? What will happen now? We, like them, will suffer the consequences of our silly, careless selection. We must man up, and accept our folly. We must repent of our leadership criteria and return to godliness, which is also beautifully dictated in the Book of Judges.

In chapter 5, Deborah, the fourth judge of Israel, sings a victory song. Verse 2 literally says: "when the long haired ones who leave their hair loose give themselves as freewill offerings to the Lord, bless Yahweh!" In the Scriptures, long hair is symbolic of great strength and leadership, as in the priesthood, Samson, and Mary Magdalen who placed her hair at Jesus' feet. It is for this reason that long hair was somewhat synonymous for the Nazarites who took vows of consecration, giving their very selves to God as a free will offering.

God uses people who abandon themselves to Him completely. Gideon, Deborah, Samson, all small and weak, yet God imbues them with strength, and this strength is leadership, as is indicated by the translation of the same verse: "When leaders lead in Israel,/ When the people willingly offer themselves,/ Bless the Lord!"

This is the power that moves the world to life, the strength we must look for in those who offer themselves to lead, and the courage we must embody if we, ourselves, are to lead. The Father is seeking such to worship Him (John 4: 23).

Where are you holding back? What are you afraid to give? Where there is no leadership, people perish (Prov. 29:18). When we stop short of a complete self giving to God in our own lives we contribute passively to the culture of death. It was distractions that kept the noble trees in the parable too preoccupied to give themselves to God to use for leadership.

We must abandon ourselves to God single-mindedly, in all the daily duties of our vocation, and refrain from worry, for our Heavenly Father will make all things well. The Kingdom is at hand, and it is His pleasure to give it to us (Luke 12:31-32).

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Sonja Corbitt is a Catholic Scripture teacher, study author and speaker. Visit her at www.pursuingthesummit.com and www.pursuingthesummit.blogspot.com

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