July 21 –Sunday: Grooming the Leader in Us, – Wilson SVD

  Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time  

Jeremiah 23: 1-6; Ephesians 2: 13-18;  Mark 6: 30-34

Jeremiah says in the first reading that Israel’s leaders, through godlessness and fanciful promises, had misled and scattered Israelites. Jeremiah prophesies that God promises to send a shepherd who would gather the lost sheep. In the gospel reading, Mark presents Jesus as the good shepherd who has compassion for his sheep. Just as sheep need a shepherd to guide and protect them, we need responsible leaders to guide and protect us. Wise leadership matters today. We are in need of a shepherd leader. We need a leader, who not only shows the way but lives the way.

The context of today’s gospel is the disciples return after their missionary works and Jesus grooms them prior to sending them again on mission. Each one of us is a leader in our own context and we need to groom ourselves to be a wise leader like Jesus, the Good Shepherd. Following lessons could be inferred from today’s readings to groom our leadership qualities; 1. Scatter Vs gather, 2. Reporting of the events, 3. Resting is investing, 4. Engage continuously.

1.  Scatter Vs gather: Once, there was a popular Zen master. There happened to be a thief among his disciples. This person would steal things from the monastery. Every time he was caught, the master would counsel him and ask his other disciples to forgive him. This went on for a while. One day, a leader of the disciples petitioned the master to either expel the thief or the entire team of disciples would leave the monastery. The master answered, ‘Then all of you leave, please.’ The master explained to the shocked crowd, ‘all of you know that stealing is wrong but he does not. If I don’t teach him, who will? He needs my guidance and love more than any one of you. A good leader does not scatter but gathers. Everyone is important. Learn to build, easy to break but difficult to build.

2. Reporting of events: The disciples return from their missionary work and report to Jesus ‘all they had done and taught.’ Reporting is an important element of collective leadership. Reporting is a sign of mutual respect and mutual responsibility. It’s a technique of stock-taking and planning for the future. The practice of reporting nurtures the relationship among all the members and strengthens confidence. The rupture takes place when there is no proper reporting. Children should report to their parents daily about the things they have learned and what has happened in schools, colleges, and workplaces. Husband and wife need to share the day's happenings. Such daily sharing in the families builds relationships and grooms leadership.

3. Resting is investing: The disciples return to Jesus and report their achievements. Jesus changes their focus. He moves them from work to rest, takes them from a crowd to a lonely place. The disciples were so busy that they did not have time even to eat. This is our problem today. We live in a world where hustle culture is huge. We are busier and more stressed than ever before. Rest is an important strategy for better productivity. Resting is not wasting. Resting is investing. Because rest is ‘peace, pause, ease, cease or refreshment.’ Resting is not doing nothing but is accumulating energy. Rest means away from the noise to be inwardly quiet, composed and peaceful. Rest is a time to re-energize, personal reflection and orientation.

Resting is also relaxing, relaxing our grip on our fame, our ego, our carriers, our families, our projects and surrendering to God.

Today, resting has become the most occupied time. To rest and relax, we watch movies, TV, social media, and reels and play online games. In all these, the mind is not able to rest. The mind is active, and so is the body.

Rest is a sacred activity. Resting helps us to productively participate in the creative activity of God. Resting makes us responsible and long lasting.

4. Engage Continuously: A famous Zen story goes as follows; there were two Zen monks, and they were on a journey. They came to a river and saw a young woman struggling to cross the river; she was almost drowning in the water. The young monk took the woman on his shoulders and carried her across the river. The woman continued on her way, and the monks continued their journey. After a little while, the older monk said that according to their rules, we are not supposed to touch a woman, and yet you young monk carried the woman across the river. The young monk answered, ‘I left the woman at the river bank a long time ago; why are you still carrying her with you? A leader must be decisive in order to effectively guide and compassionately respond to the needs of the people.

Jesus is concerned about the well-being of his disciples, and at the same time, he has magnanimous compassion for people who hunger for his words and healing touch. Jesus saw the people as like sheep without a shepherd and was moved with compassion. Jesus knows that rest is important, and the mission is also equally important. Jesus sees the needs of the people and makes a decision promptly to teach them. Jesus is continuously engaged in his mission. He rests but does not set out of his mission. He rests but does not withdraw from his mission. The mission is his priority, and he is continuously engaged in it. He is passionate about his mission. The monk responds to the needs of the people along the journey, but that does not stop his journey.

Our takeaway

1. Each of us is a leader, and we need to groom ourselves to be the leaders we expect others to be.

2. Reporting is an important element of collective leadership. It is a sign of mutual respect, trust, and responsibility. It’s a technique of taking stock and planning for the future.

3. Resting is investing. Rest is a sacred activity. Resting helps us productively participate in God's creative activity. Resting makes us responsible and long-lasting.

4. Being passionate about something ensures continuous engagement in it.