Shikrot Mpwi - Sunday Synopsis with Fr. Justine J. Dyikuk
25th Sunday of
the Year, B – September 23, 2018.
Readings: Wisdom 2:12.17-20;
Ps 53:3-6,8; James
3:16-4:3;
Gospel – Mark 9:30-37.
Theme: Servant Leadership:
Model for all Christians!
25th Sunday of
the Year, B – September 23, 2018.
Readings: Wisdom 2:12.17-20;
Ps 53:3-6,8; James
3:16-4:3; Gospel – Mark 9:30-37.
Theme: Servant Leadership:
Model for all Christians!
Introduction
Beloved in Christ, today
we are presented with the suffering servant who embraces servant leadership for
the sake of humanity. Our liturgy points to bearing the brunt of this life for
the sake of others as a prerequisite for the kingdom. Our reflection titled, “Servant Leadership: Model for all Christians”
explores the readings for spiritual and practical insights by examining the
various kinds of leadership there are with the view to using servant leadership
as the modeled kind of leadership for all Christians.
Background
& Summary of the Readings
The first reading (Wisdom 2:12.17-20)
recounts how the wicked prepare to ambush the just man. It reveals that the
wicked carry out this plan because the ways of the righteous annoys them for
the simple reason that he reproaches them for their breaches of the law. They
plot to see how the good man will end. They dare the divine saying, we will see
if God would rescue him. The wicked even use cruelty and torture as instruments
of blackmail. As if that is not enough, they exploit the gentleness of the
righteous intending to put his endurance to the proof. They take advantage of
his assurances of divine help by condemning him to a shameful death. The
reading is indicative of the suffering servant who lays his for his sheep.
The second reading
(James 3:16-4:3) warns about jealousy and vain ambition. It attributes rancour and
disharmony to lack of wisdom which comes from above and compassion which seeks
after good. It notes that selfish ambition is responsible for unanswered
prayers since those prayers were ill-motivated.
In the Gospel (Mark 9:30-37), Jesus cautions his
disciples about seeking places of honour. Accordingly, he reveals his passion
by redirecting their attention to servant leadership as the model kind of
leadership which is other-oriented and embraces suffering for the good of all. He
uses childlike simplicity to challenge all to embrace the kingdom by seeking to
serve all.
Common
Types of Leadership
There
are about 9 types of leadership or governance. However, we shall consider only three
in the light of our readings:
a). Despotic (Authoritarian) Leadership: Despotic
leadership is an autocratic kind of governance in which the leader either comes
into power by force or usurps power through the barrel of the gun. The
authoritarian leader exercises absolute control, makes all decisions, cannot be
questioned. He or she derives authority from power which he uses to control
state apparatus and is dictatorial, despotic and tyrannical. What readily comes
to mind here is the hangover of authoritarian regimes in Latin America, Asia
and Africa.
Despotic
governance is often associated with military interventions in
democratically-run states as was the case in Nigeria for many years. Most
times, these governments are called juntas since power is snatched and these
despots are referred to as rulers not leaders. These kinds of rulerships are
run by military decrees. Military humanitarianism in this mould are known for
self-styled kangaroo military-courts where both defaulting civilian and members
of the rank and file of the armed forces are haphazardly tried and condemned to
death. The days of General Ibrahim Babangida and Sani Abacha were replete with
cases of abuse and deaths. The deaths of Abiola and his wife, Kudirat, Ken Saro
Wiwa come to mind.
In
the Democratic Republic of the Congo which was renamed Zaire in 1971, the
military dictator Mobutu Sese Seko who was described by Times Magazine as the
“archetypal African Dictator” presided over his country for 32 years. He was
known for notorious corruption, nepotism, human rights violation and
embezzlement of public funds to the tune of 15 billion dollars. He claimed to
be Jesus and his mother was the Virgin Mary and mandated that their pictures be
displayed in all institutions. He also called himself “the Messiah” and “the
Redeemer.” He was expelled by Laurent Kabila and died of prostate cancer three
months later in Morocco.
b). Secular (Democratic) Leadership: Standing on the
shoulders of Abraham Lincoln, democratic
leadership is simply government of the people, by the people and for people which runs on
the lungs of the constitution. As a representative form of government, its
cardinal principles include, ensuring the security of lives and property, basic
freedom of all citizens including that of the press, making consultations,
building consensus, holding frequent elections, provision of social amenities
as well as human capacity building and facilitating economic development towards
the betterment of society. Can our country boast of people in leadership
committed to these ideals? Well let’s go to South Africa and pick Africa’s
finest democrat.
Nelson Mandela who was South Africa’s first democratically elected
President who served from 1994 to 1996 was in three prisons for 27 years because
of his role in the antiapartheid crusade would turn around to forgive his
incarcerators by establishing a Truth and Reconciliation Commission to not only
investigate human rights abuses but integrate the nation. As president, he was
fair to all by concentrating on combating poverty and HIV/AIDS through the
Nelson Mandela Foundation and became an elder statesman. Today, Madiba which
means “Father of the Nation” is remembered as an icon of democracy and social
justice in Africa who not only received more than 250 honours but clinched the
Noble Peace Prize and enjoys cult personality because of the democratic ethos
he stood for.
b). Religious (Ecclesiastical) Leadership: This
is church governance. The Catholic Church runs a patriarchal government. Christ
is its head and the Pope, its visible leader who together with the college of
bishops around the world, exercises the Petrine roles of teacher, sanctifier
and ruler. In collaboration with their bishops, priests exercise the sacerdotal
ministry for God and the Church and for the salvation of souls. By virtue of
their baptism, religious and the laity also form the people of God and bring
their lives to bear in the life of the Church. Lumen Gentium Nos. 25, 26 and 27 all point to servant leadership as
the model kind of leadership which comes from the Master himself. The Catechism of the Catholic Church, CCC
No. 896 insists that the Good shepherd is the model for all pastors of souls. Although
the Church is not a democracy, she uses the principle of subsidiarity as well
as democratic means in running her affairs. The election of the Pope by
eligible Cardinals is a case in point; so is the selection of bishops for local
churches and election of officials into the church council or various pious
societies at parish levels. Most times, the Church uses the consultative means
in most matters as against the despotic or democratic models.
