Few ministers and priests think theologically. Most of us have been educated in a climate in which the behavioral sciences, such as psychology and sociology, so dominated the educational milieu that little true theology was being learned. Most Christian leaders today raise psychological or sociological questions even though they frame them in scriptural terms. Real theological thinking, which is thinking with the mind of Christ, is hard to find in the practice of the ministry. Without solid theological reflection, future leaders will be little more than pseudo-psychologists, pseudo-sociologists, pseudo-social workers. They will think of themselves as enablers, facilitators, role models, father or mother figures, big brothers or big sisters, and so on, and thus join the countless men and women who make a living by trying to help their fellow human beings cope with the stresses and strains of everyday living.
But that has little to do with Christian leadership because the Christian leader thinks, speaks, and acts in the name of Jesus, who came to free humanity from the power of death and open the way to eternal life. To be such a leader, it is essential to be able to discern from moment to moment how God acts in human history and how the personal, communal, national, and international events that occur during our lives can make us more and more sensitive to the ways in which we are led to the cross and through the cross to the resurrection.
The task of future Christian leaders is not to make a little contribution to the solution of the pains and tribulations of their time, but to identify and announce the ways in which Jesus is leading God’s people out of slavery, through the desert to a new land of freedom. Christian leaders have the arduous task of responding to personal struggles, family conflicts, national calamities, and international tensions with an articulate faith in God’s real presence. They have to say no to every form of fatalism, defeatism, accidentalism, or incidentalism that makes people believe that statistics are telling us the truth. They have to say no to every form of despair in which human life is seen as a pure matter of good or bad luck. They have to say no to sentimental attempts to make people develop a spirit of resignation or stoic indifference in the face of the unavoidability of pain, suffering, and death. In short, they have to say no to the secular world and proclaim in unambiguous terms that the incarnation of God’s Word, through whom all things came into being, has made even the smallest event of human history into kairos, that is, an opportunity to be led deeper into the heart of Christ. 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.
Theological reflection is reflecting on the painful and joyful realities of every day with the mind of Jesus and thereby raising human consciousness to the knowledge of God’s gentle guidance. This is a hard discipline, since God’s presence is often a hidden presence, a presence that needs to be discovered. The loud, boisterous noises of the world make us deaf to the soft, gentle, and loving voice of God. A Christian leader is called to help people to hear that voice and so be comforted and consoled.
Strenuous theological reflection will allow us to discern critically where we are being led.
Thinking about the future of Christian leadership, I am convinced that it needs to be a theological leadership. For this to come about, much—very much—has to happen in seminaries and divinity schools. They have to become centers where people are trained in true discernment of the signs of the time. This cannot be just an intellectual training. It requires a deep spiritual formation involving the whole person—body, mind, and heart. I think we are only half aware of how secular even theological schools have become. Formation in the mind of Christ, who did not cling to power but emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, is not what most seminaries are about. Everything in our competitive and ambitious world militates against it. But to the degree that such formation is being sought for and realized, there is hope for the church of the twenty-first century.
Conclusion
Let me summarize. My movement from Harvard to L’Arche made me aware in a new way how much my own thinking about Christian leadership had been affected by the desire to be relevant, the desire for popularity, and the desire for power. Too often I looked at being relevant, popular, and powerful as ingredients of an effective ministry.
The truth, however, is that these are not vocations but temptations. Jesus asks, “Do you love me?” Jesus sends us out to be shepherds, and Jesus promises a life in which we increasingly have to stretch out our hands and be led to places where we would rather not go. He asks us to move from a concern for relevance to a life of prayer, from worries about popularity to communal and mutual ministry, and from a leadership built on power to a leadership in which we critically discern where God is leading us and our people.
The people of L’Arche are showing me new ways. I am a slow learner. Old patterns that have proved quite effective are not easy to give up. But as I think about the Christian leader of the twenty-first century, I do believe that those from whom I least expected to learn are showing me the way. I hope and pray that what I am learning in my new life is something that is not just good for me to learn, but something that helps you, as well, to catch a glimpse of the Christian leader of the future.
What I have said is, obviously, nothing new, but I hope and pray that you have seen that the oldest, most traditional vision of Christian leadership is still a vision that awaits realization in the future.
I leave you with the image of the leader with outstretched hands, who chooses a life of downward mobility. It is the image of the praying leader, the vulnerable leader, and the trusting leader. May that image fill your hearts with hope, courage, and confidence as you anticipate the new century.
Epilogue
Writing these reflections was one thing, presenting them in Washington, D.C., quite another. When Bill and I arrived at the Washington airport we were taken to the Clarendon Hotel in Crystal City, a collection of modern, seemingly all-glass high-rise buildings on the same side of the Potomac River as the airport. Both Bill and I were quite impressed by the glittering atmosphere of the hotel. We were both given spacious rooms with double beds, bathrooms with many towels, and cable TV. On the table in Bill’s room there was a basket with fruit and a bottle of wine. Bill loved it. Being a veteran TV-watcher, he settled comfortably on his queen-size bed and checked out all the channels with his remote-control box.
But the time for us to bring our good news together came quickly. After a delicious buffet dinner in one of the ballrooms decorated with golden statues and little fountains, Vincent Dwyer introduced me to the audience. At that moment I still did not know what “doing it together” with Bill would mean. I opened by saying that I had not come alone, but was very happy that Bill had come with me. Then I took my handwritten text and began my address. At that moment, I saw that Bill had left his seat, walked up to the podium, and planted himself right behind me. It was clear that he had a much more concrete idea about the meaning of “doing it together” than I. Each time I finished reading a page, he took it away and put it upside down on a small table close by. I felt very much at ease with this and started to feel Bill’s presence as a support.
But Bill had more in mind. When I began to speak about the temptation to turn stones into bread as a temptation to be relevant, he interrupted me and said loudly for everyone to hear, “I have heard that before!” He had indeed, and he just wanted the priests and ministers who were listening to know that he knew me quite well and was familiar with my ideas. For me, however, it felt like a gentle loving reminder that my thoughts were not as new as I wanted my audience to believe. Bill’s intervention created a new atmosphere in the ballroom: lighter, easier, and more playful. Somehow Bill had taken away the seriousness of the occasion and had brought to it some homespun normality. As I continued my presentation, I felt more and more that we were indeed doing it together. And it felt good.
“And we did it together, didn’t we?”
When I came to the second part and was reading the words, “The question most asked by the handicapped people with whom I live was, ‘Are you home tonight?’,” Bill interrupted me again and said, “That’s right, that is what John Smeltzer always asks.” Again there was something disarming about his remark. Bill knew John Smeltzer very well after living with him in the same house for quite some years. He simply wanted people to know about his friend. It was as if he drew the audience toward us, inviting them into the intimacy of our common life.
After I had finished reading my text and people had shown their appreciation, Bill said to me, “Henri, can I say something now?” My first reaction was, “Oh, how am I going to handle this? He might start rambling and create an embarrassing situation,” but then I caught myself in my presumption that he had nothing of importance to say and said to the audience, “Will you please sit down? Bill would like to say a few words to you.”
Bill took the microphone and said, with all the difficulties he has in speaking, “Last time, when Henri went to Boston, he took John Smeltzer with him. This time he wanted me to come with him to Washington, and I am very glad to be here with you. Thank you very much.” That was it, and everyone stood up and gave him warm applause.
As we walked away from the podium, Bill said to me, “Henri, how did you like my speech?”
“Very much,” I answered. “Everyone was really happy with what you said.” Bill was delighted. As people gathered for drinks, he felt freer than ever. He went from person to person, introduced himself, asked how they liked the evening, and told them all sorts of stories about his life in Daybreak. I did not see him for more than an hour. He was too busy getting to know everybody.
The next morning at breakfast before we left, Bill walked from table to table with his cup of coffee in his hands and said goodbye to all those he knew from the evening before. It was clear to me that he had made many friends and felt very much at home in these, for him, so unusual surroundings.
As we flew back together to Toronto, Bill looked up from the word-puzzle book that he takes with him wherever he goes and said, “Henri, did you like our trip?”
“Oh, yes,” I answered, “it was a wonderful trip, and I am so glad you came with me.”
Bill looked at me attentively and then said, “And we did it together, didn’t we?”
Then I realized the full truth of Jesus’ words, “Where two or three meet in my Name, I am among them” (Matthew 18:20). In the past, I had always given lectures, sermons, addresses, and speeches by myself. Often I had wondered how much of what I had said would be remembered. Now it dawned on me that most likely much of what I said would not be long remembered, but that Bill and I doing it together would not easily be forgotten. I hoped and prayed that Jesus, who had sent us out together and had been with us all during the journey, would have become really present to those who had gathered in the Clarendon Hotel in Crystal City.
As we landed, I said to Bill, “Bill, thanks so much for coming with me. It was a wonderful trip, and what we did, we did together in Jesus’ name.” And I really meant it.
Study Guide
Introduction
Nouwen asks himself “Did becoming older bring me closer to Jesus?” Reflect on this question for your own life.
1. From Relevance to Prayer
a. The Temptation: To Be Relevant
“Jesus’ first temptation was to be relevant.” Have you ever experienced this temptation in your own ministry?
b. The Question: “Do You Love Me?”
“Are you in love with Jesus”? Answer Nouwen’s question for your own life.
“You are loved without any conditions or limits.” Have you ever found it hard to accept that God loved you in this way? Take a moment to imagine and feel the immensity of God’s unconditional love.
c. The Discipline: Contemplative Prayer
“Christian leadership must be rooted in the permanent, intimate relationship with the incarnate Word, Jesus, and they need to find there the source for their words, advice, and guidance.” Imagine a conversation taking place about some of the political and moral “burning issues” Nouwen refers to on page 45. How do these conversations usually take place? Now imagine how they could be different if based on “the experience of God’s first love” and rooted in the experience of contemplative prayer.
2. From Popularity to Ministry
a. The Temptation: To Be Spectacular
Have people ever expected you to be a superman or superwoman, solving every problem on your own? How did you respond to these expectations?
b. The Task: “Feed My Sheep”
“It is Jesus who heals, not I; Jesus who speaks words of truth, not I; Jesus who is Lord, not I.” According to Nouwen, how is a Jesus-centered view of leadership different from the leadership exercised by a psychologist or doctor?
c. The Discipline: Confession and Forgiveness
“Ministers and priests . . . are called to minister with their whole being, including their wounded selves.” Reflect on appropriate ways you can more fully open yourself to your community.
3. From Leading to Being Led
a. The Temptation: To Be Powerful
“It seems easier to be God than to love God.” Describe in your own words what this means. Why do you think it is sometimes hard for us to love God?
b. The Challenge: “Someone Else Will Take You”
“Jesus has a different vision of maturity: It is the ability and willingness to be led where you would rather not go.” Think of the last time God was calling you to make a change in your life. Was it difficult to let go of your own wishes and follow God’s direction?
c. The Discipline: Theological Reflection
On page 44, Nouwen describes theology as “union with God in prayer.” How is theological reflection different from psychological or scientific investigation?
“The Christian leader thinks, speaks, and acts in the name of Jesus.” Can you think of three specific ways your own vocation can be enriched by teaching “in the name of Jesus”? How can you integrate prayer as part of this direction?
Of related interest by
HENRI J. M. NOUWEN
BEYOND THE MIRROR
Reflections on Death and Life
“This small work may be Henri Nouwen’s most honest and insightful . . . that is saying quite a bit when one considers the prolific output by the late spiritual writer.”
—Critical Review Service
Beyond the Mirror, about Nouwen’s near-death experience in 1989, has been unavailable since 1997. This new edition includes a Foreword by Robert Durback and an Afterword from the Henri Nouwen Archives about preparing for death.
THE ONLY NECESSARY THING
Living a Prayerful Life
Compiled and Edited by Wendy Greer
Prayer is the dominant theme of Nouwen’s books, his talks, and his life. This rich, deeply inspiring book will surely become the authoritative edition of Nouwen’s writings on prayer.
Please support your local bookstore, or order directly from the publisher at www.CrossroadPublishing.com
To request a catalog or inquire about quantity orders, please e-mail [email protected]
Of related interest by
HENRI J. M. NOUWEN
LIFE OF THE BELOVED
Spiritual Living in a Secular World
Nouwen’s enduring classic, with over 200,000 copies in print. In response to a friend’s request, Nouwen offers a meditation on the true meaning of the spiritual life and our relation to the God of love. Now in paperback with reflection guide for individuals and groups.
SABBATICAL JOURNEY
The Diary of His Final Year
Now in paperback!
“Sabbatical Journey is must reading. . . . This journal reveals much about the heart and mind of a theologian who has touched the lives of millions.”
—Commonweal
HERE AND
NOW
Living in the Spirit
In this book of meditations, Nouwen shows a personal and insightful way that God is much closer than we ordinarily realize.
Of related interest by
RONALD ROLHEISER
Author of The Holy Longing
Ronald Rolheiser
AGAINST AN INFINITE HORIZON
The Finger of God in our Everyday Lives
“Ronald Rolheiser has mastered the old, old art of parable.”
—Morris West
“A felicitous blend of scriptural reflection, shrewd psychological observations, and generous portions of letters sent to Rolheiser and his responses.”
—Commonweal
Do you ever feel that your meditation is just a small corner of the divine in a difficult world? Best-selling author Rolheiser invites us to see meditation, and every aspect of life, as part of a world filled with God and brimming with possibility and hope.
Ronald Rolheiser
THE SHATTERED LANTERN
Rediscovering a Felt Presence of God
The way back to a lively faith “is not a question of finding the right answers, but of living a certain way. The existence of God, like the air we breathe, need not be proven.” Rolheiser shines new light on the contemplative path of Western Christianity and offers a dynamic way forward.
Of related interest by
THOMAS KEATING
AWAKENINGS
An examination of the key events in the ministry of Jesus, the important parables, and the many celebrations of his presence in light of today’s experience of living.
REAWAKENINGS
In the Name of Jesus Page 4