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Paul Hawken, in his book, Blessed Unrest, writes, “an older quiescent history is reemerging, what poet Gary Snyder calls the great underground, a current of humanity that dates back to the Paleolithic. Its lineage can be traced back to healers, priestesses, philosophers, monks, rabbis, poets, and artists ‘who speak for the planet, for other species, for interdependence, a life that courses under and through and around empires.’” What stands out for me among this reemerging history is the quiet nature of her leaders.

Have you ever wondered why we insist on thinking power, position, and privilege equate to leadership? Or thinking the owner, the boss, the CEO, the President, the Pope, the senior pastor, the chairman of the board, or the Secretary General is THE leader? Is it because a quiet grace struggles to coexist?

We want strength in our leaders, failing, of course, to recognize meekness and gentleness—the essence of a quiet grace—are among the most reliable indicators of strength.

It’s generally pretty easy to see what happens when leadership rests upon power, position, or privilege. There is much history can tell us. But what, exactly, doesn’t happen? After all, it’s usually the leader’s vision we are asked to adopt. In so many ways, it’s also THEIR, game, THEIR toys, and probably THEIR rules too. About the only thing left to captivate, inspire, motivate, and encourage us is THEIR personality. As such, a great many of us — some enthusiastically, others reluctantly — merely saddle up for the ride, hoping against hope the scenery has something of interest to offer along the way.

Now let us compare THEIR reality with the hope of the unseen. You know the crowd. Or, do you? Hawken’s helps us out here with shout outs to “a coalescence comprising hundreds of thousands of organizations” giving “support and meaning” to billions of people, largely unnoticed, around the globe: “families in India, students in Australia, farmers in France, the landless in Brazil, the Bananeras of Honduras, the ‘poors’ of Durban, villagers in Irian Jaya, indigenous tribes of Bolivia, and housewives in Japan.” Ever wonder who is leading THEM? Great question, isn’t it? Hawkens knows. Their leaders, he tells us, “are farmers, zoologists, shoemakers, and poets.”

Farmers, zoologists, shoemakers, and poets? Are you kidding? What, no CEOs? Are you certain? No President or Chairman of the Board? Surely there must be some mistake. No members of Parliament either? What about the Congress? Or, maybe the Senate? Nope. Ever wondered why self-proclaimed leaders might relinquish control of this vast underground? It’s quite simple to explain really. Dr B.R. Ambedkar, a 20th century philosopher, thinker, anthropologist, historian, crusader for social justice, champion of human rights, and the chief architect of the Indian Constitution, tells us why:

Pretty much sums it up, doesn’t it?

Do you know leaders like the great man Ambedkar describes, leaders who consistently — indeed, relentlessly — place others before self? Leaders who possess a servant’s heart? Leaders who perfectly understand the vision was never theirs to give; instead, it always belongs to the people, it always represents our common bond?

Thomas Carlyle argued “the history of the world is but a biography of great men.” But it seems to me his focus on the leader may have failed to consider ‘greatness’ originates in the hearts of those who choose to follow. Martin Luther King, Jr, helps us come to terms with greatness: “Everyone can be great, because everyone can serve.”



Seems to me we could use a few million more ‘great’ leaders! Indeed, a new GENERATION of leaders stepping out to transmogrify OUR collective vision, taking it from a distant dream to create the present reality, a reality founded on love. In the end, love is what we need. Leadership—true leadership—IS love.

In closing, my wonderful friend, Letty, says it this way: Only those who have the power to reach the hearts of others are great leaders. Isn’t that beautiful? Such is the leader I long to follow, an other-centered leader who demonstrates time and time again leadership is not positional; it’s relative. It’s also relevant, and it’s real. Such is the leader who turns Western society’s autocratic, hierarchical command and control on its head, recognizing power, position, and privilege never were important; PEOPLE are!

[Most Christians would agree that throughout history, secular governments have done a fair to horrible job of reflecting biblical values. This question, of how much effort followers of Jesus Christ should expend in trying to bring Christian values into politics, is certainly not new. However, in the United States this search is unique, since this nation came into being as a result of many faithful Christians seeking to establish freedom of worship through government. ~ Jeremiah Films (http://www.jeremiahfilms.com/released/DualCitizenship/TheAncientDilemma.html)]

In 1877, James Garfield, the twentieth President of the United States, gave warning to the American people. “Now more than ever before, the people are responsible for the character of their Congress. If that body be ignorant, reckless and corrupt, it is because the people tolerate ignorance, recklessness and corruption. If it be intelligent, brave and pure, it is because the people demand these high qualities to represent them in the national legislature.” He continued, “If the next centennial does not find us a great nation … it will be because those who represent the enterprise, the culture, and the morality of the nation do not aid in controlling the political forces.” 1

President Garfield understood his dual citizenship. As a citizen of America, he severed as a teacher, a college president, a major general in the Union Army, a congressman for eighteen years and finally as President (until he was assassinated in office).

His spiritual citizenship as a Christian prompted a life-long commitment of daily Bible reading, preaching and active opposition to slavery.

We live at the end of that next centennial about which President Garfield spoke. Have those 100 years ended with Christians standing up for justice and truth by “demanding high qualities in those who represent them”? No, they have not. Unfortunately those 100 years have seen Bible-believing Christians slowly abdicating responsibility in secular affairs, allowing immoral leaders to take control of the arts, education, media and government. The retreat from position of leadership occurred early in this centennial, particularly because of Christians’ theological overreaction to “modernism.” The move toward modernism alarmed Bible-centered Christians. They observed the doubt produced by its “higher criticism’s” ridicule of doctrinal absolutes and biblical accuracy.

These modernists, in harmony with their disdain for the established fundamental of the faith, preached a “social gospel.” Since they taught that mankind was basically good and needed only a better environment in order to become “good Christians”, their gospel centered on helping people physically. The government, in concert with religion, was supposed to implement this improved environment. The modernist doctrine of salvation involved changing people from the outside-in rather than the orthodox theology of regeneration from the inside-out.

Christians who desired to bring people back to the fundamentals of the faith and who rose in protest against the creeping spread of modernism were dubbed “fundamentalists.”

The Christian fundamentalists’ firm stand against modernism and its social gospel subtly prompted Bible-centered Christians to back away from all governmental involvement. Their abdication of leadership positions meant that biblically-based Christians no longer led in industry, science, communication., art and politics as they once did. They not only surrendered their historic dominance of governmental leadership, they also withdrew from mandated Christian responsibility, even giving over care of the poor to the government.

Throughout the twentieth century, Bible-believing Christians gradually retreated into their spiritual cocoons of correctness, isolating themselves from their earthly citizenship and its responsibilities.

This produced disastrous results. Now today, as a whole, we Christians have become so busy “preaching to the choir”, staying pure and combating modernism that we overlook the example of Jesus, who walked among the people, spoke out against corruption and cared for the hurting.

We have forgotten the biblical admonition to live in the world, but not be of the world. Remember, God used kings and servants, statesmen and fishermen, doctors and tentmakers – to lead, to reprimand, to exhort and to serve – each used their professions as springboards to relate the glorious message of faith towards God.

Many Christians have set aside those biblical examples. Instead they come together in insular Christian communities, safe from the “pollutions” of the world, satisfied in having their own needs met while ungodly leaders continue advancing their “social gospel” to a lost and hurting world.

I also see resignation of earthly responsibility being reinforced today by some Christian leaders. Even some highly respected evangelists and pastors teach that our only focus must be our heavenly citizenship, and that secular responsibility is confined to being law abiding citizens and praying for our political leaders. They reason that since the bible teach that all powers are ordained of God, we would be blocking God’s will to criticize or speak against leaders even if we personally disagree with their policies.

Other Christians believe that dual citizenship mandates responsibility in local and federal politics as well as responsibility to the kingdom of God. Israel is used as an example of a nation whose government began with this premise. These Christians point to prophets in the Bible who spoke up against ungodly leaders, holding them accountable to God and to the populaces over which they ruled.

Most concede that before Jesus came, God used prophets to call leaders to accountability when they had sin in their lives or were leading people in a path contrary to God’s laws. But some dismiss these examples by saying, “That only occurred in Old Testament times” or “That only applies to the nation of Israel.” But we can’t dismiss the ministry of prophets as being only “Old Testament” when we consider the ministry of John the Baptist. Consider the boldness of this prophet about whom Jesus said, “There is not a greater prophet than John the Baptist” a. When Jesus spoke these impressive words, John was in prison for speaking out publicly against the immoral behavior of Herod, the local Roman political leader. Shortly afterward, Herod executed John – this greatest prophet of all.

Although John’s primary ministry was telling people to repent and prepare to meet Jesus, he lost his life because he spoke out against evil in the life of a government official. Neither the Roman government nor Herod claimed to be followers of Jesus Christ, but John still look a stand against the evil in Herod’s life. John’s example of speaking out against immorality in the life of secular leader was in accordance with godly principles. This we know because God who never changed recorded His will for us on this matter. “Have no fellowship with unfruitful works of darkness but rather reprove them” b.

We learn from John’s example that Christians – and most especially Christian leaders – can no longer excuse silence (in calling secular leaders to accountability) by saying, “That is not what we are called to do” or “It is in the hands of the Lord. We will not get involved.” That view is simply not biblical.

Our corporate refusal to lead in both the spiritual and secular realms leaves the world open to corrupt guidance.

Toward the end of this twentieth century, the world experienced unparalleled family disintegration, terror of an unharnessed AIDS epidemic, famines of epic proportion and horrendous ethic cleansing. No world body (apart from one led by God) can eradicate these killers because these problems originate in the sinful heard f man. Ultimately only God can change the human heart. Until that change takes place, Christians (who live the beliefs they espouse) have the only foundation to provide the ethical leadership every nation needs to curtain human misery and destruction.

The question we must ask in this: “How can believers in Jesus Christ bring help and light to a hurting world, yet still be responsible in secular affairs of government (including holding governmental officials answerable for their performances)?”

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a Matthew 14:1-12; Luke 7:28

b Ephesians 5:11 1

Federer, William F., America’s God and Country, Coppell, TX-FAME Publishing, Inc. 1994, pp 256, 257

I have lived, Sir, a long time, and the longer I live, the more convincing proofs I see of this truth — that God governs in the affairs of men. And if a sparrow cannot fall to the ground without His notice, is it probable that an empire can rise without His aid? 

We have been assured, Sir, in the Sacred Writings, that ‘except the Lord build the House, they labor in vain that build it.’ I firmly believe this; and I also believe that without his concurring aid we shall succeed in this political building no better than the Builders of Babel: We shall be divided by our partial local interests; our projects will be confounded, and we ourselves shall become a reproach and bye word down to future ages. 

I therefore beg leave to move — that henceforth prayers imploring the assistance of Heaven, and its blessing on our deliberations, be held in this Assembly every morning before we proceed to business, and that one or more of the clergy of this city be requested to officiate in that service.

President John F. Kennedy said, “Leadership and learning are indispensable to each other.” I believe it but rarely do I see the fruit of such labor. Sadly, seldom a day goes by I do not hear the desperate cry for authentic leadership.

In my travels around the globe as an American patriot, a retired military officer, a husband, a homeschooling dad, a son, a brother, an educator, a mentor, a writer, a visionary, an entrepreneur, and a man of faith, opportunities to lead and to follow, some on the world’s stage, have blessed my journey. Indeed, I bear witness to awesome managerial skills and, on a much smaller scale, fine leadership qualities worthy of emulation.

However, in my 25 years of service, most recently as an academic dean for a military university and a senior consultant supporting the public sector in the National Capital region, I also am duty bound to bear testimony of misguided well-positioned folks who knew nothing of leadership believing, instead, in an ego-centric self-serving way, people exist for their benefit instead of vice versa.

Apparently, others have also taken notice. The W.K. Kellogg Foundation, for example, reports “the American public perceives a crisis of leadership in our nation. Major public and private institutions increasingly appear incapable of dealing constructively with an ever-expanding list of social and economic problems, and individuals are becoming more cynical about government. We need a new generation of leaders who can bring about positive change in local, national, and international affairs.”

We need servant leaders, and NorthFork is my response!

I’d be delighted to hear from you.