Henri J.M. Nouwen wrote a little book called: In the name of Jesus. He describes the caracteristics of the 21.c. leader…
here are few thoughts from the book:
“… the term “burn out” was a convenient psychological translation for a spiritual death.”
“Christian leader of the future is called to be completely irrelevant and to stand in this world with nothing to offer but his her own vulnerable self.”
“JESUS’ first temtation was to be relevant, to turn stones into bread.”
“The leader of the future will be the one who dares to claim his irrelevance in the contemporary world as a divine vocation that allows himor her to enter into a deep solidarity with the anguish underlying all the glitter of succes and to bring light of Jesus there.”
“Do you love me? is the question that we have to hear and make central of our Christian ministry because it is the question that can allow us to be, at the same time, irrelevant and trully slef-confident.“
“…shared ministry… the example of CHRIST.”
“…JESUS sends out the 12 in pairs(Mark 6:7). … We cannot bring good news on our own.”
“…leaders need to ask for forgiveness from those to whom they minister.”
“what makes the temptation of power so seemingly irresistable? Maybe it is that power offers an easy substitute for the hard task of love. It sees easier to be God than to love God, easier to control people then to love people, easier to own life then to love life.”
“The world says: “When you were young you were dependent and could not go where you wanted, but when you grow old you will be able to make your own decisions, go your own way and controll your own destiny.” But JESUS has a different vision of maturity: It is the ability and willingness to be led where you would rather not go.”
” I am speaking of a leadership in which power is constantly abandoned in favor of love.”
“The Christian leader of the future needs to be radically poor, journeying with nothing except a staff… “no bread, no haversack, no money, no spare tunic” (Mark 6:8).
“The Christian leaders of the future have to be theologians, persons who know the heart of God and are trained – through prayer, study, and careful analysis – to manifest the divine event of God’s saving work in the midst of the many seemingly random events of their time.”
Henri always had this way of making me squirm. He brings us back to the heart of the Father as revealed through the Son. He makes us face our sin square on but in a powerfully loving way. Henri was A gift from God to so many of us. Thanks for sharing some of his best words.