SEEKING CREDIBLE LEADERSHIP IN CHURCH AND SOCIETY

20150719 SEEKING CREDIBLE LEADERSHIP IN CHURCH AND SOCIETY

Readings at Mass

First reading

Jeremiah 23:1-6 ©

‘Doom for the shepherds who allow the flock of my pasture to be destroyed and scattered – it is the Lord who speaks! This, therefore, is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says about the shepherds in charge of my people: You have let my flock be scattered and go wandering and have not taken care of them.

  Right, I will take care of you for your misdeeds – it is the Lord who speaks! But the remnant of my flock I myself will gather from all the countries where I have dispersed them, and will bring them back to their pastures: they shall be fruitful and increase in numbers. I will raise up shepherds to look after them and pasture them; no fear, no terror for them any more; not one shall be lost – it is the Lord who speaks!

‘See, the days are coming – it is the Lord who speaks –

when I will raise a virtuous Branch for David,

who will reign as true king and be wise,

practising honesty and integrity in the land.

In his days Judah will be saved

and Israel dwell in confidence.

And this is the name he will be called:

The-Lord-our-integrity.’

Psalm

Psalm 22:1-6 ©

The Lord is my shepherd: there is nothing I shall want.

The Lord is my shepherd;

  there is nothing I shall want.

Fresh and green are the pastures

  where he gives me repose.

Near restful waters he leads me,

  to revive my drooping spirit.

The Lord is my shepherd: there is nothing I shall want.

He guides me along the right path;

  he is true to his name.

If I should walk in the valley of darkness

  no evil would I fear.

You are there with your crook and your staff;

  with these you give me comfort.

The Lord is my shepherd: there is nothing I shall want.

You have prepared a banquet for me

  in the sight of my foes.

My head you have anointed with oil;

  my cup is overflowing.

The Lord is my shepherd: there is nothing I shall want.

Surely goodness and kindness shall follow me

  all the days of my life.

In the Lord’s own house shall I dwell

  for ever and ever.

The Lord is my shepherd: there is nothing I shall want.

Second reading

Ephesians 2:13-18 ©

In Christ Jesus, you that used to be so far apart from us have been brought very close, by the blood of Christ. For he is the peace between us, and has made the two into one and broken down the barrier which used to keep them apart, actually destroying in his own person the hostility caused by the rules and decrees of the Law. This was to create one single New Man in himself out of the two of them and by restoring peace through the cross, to unite them both in a single Body and reconcile them with God: in his own person he killed the hostility. Later he came to bring the good news of peace, peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near at hand. Through him, both of us have in the one Spirit our way to come to the Father.

Gospel Acclamation

Jn10:27

Alleluia, alleluia!

The sheep that belong to me listen to my voice,

says the Lord,

I know them and they follow me.

Alleluia!

Gospel

Mark 6:30-34 ©

The apostles rejoined Jesus and told him all they had done and taught. Then he said to them, ‘You must come away to some lonely place all by yourselves and rest for a while’; for there were so many coming and going that the apostles had no time even to eat. So they went off in a boat to a lonely place where they could be by themselves. But people saw them going, and many could guess where; and from every town they all hurried to the place on foot and reached it before them. So as he stepped ashore he saw a large crowd; and he took pity on them because they were like sheep without a shepherd, and he set himself to teach them at some length.

SEEKING CREDIBLE LEADERSHIP IN CHURCH AND SOCIETY

SCRIPTURE READINGS: Jeremiah 23:1-6; Ps 22:1-6; Ep 2:13-18; Mark 6:30-34

The world is so fragmented today.  More so with mass media and digital technology!  With so much information available, so many views of life, of what is right or wrong, the unity of the world is very fragile.  Even within the Catholic Church, there are many conflicting views among its leaders; not among just members.  Within our own family too, we are very much divided because we cannot agree on the values of life.  Married couples are not of one mind and one heart.  Children are going their own way, influenced by mass media and friends.  Indeed, there is no clear direction. Like the Israelites in the first reading, we are all scattered.  Some are lost and confused.  Some have been led astray.  Some are injured because of wrong choices in life.  Many feel alone in their choices even when they make the right ones.

How is it that the world has come to this stage?  This is because we lack authentic and credible leaders, whether political, religious or secular leaders.  Who are the bad leaders?

They are those who are more concerned with their own interests and well-being than that of those whom they serve.  In what they do, they are motivated by self before others.  They are more concerned about their personal comfort and needs than that of their sheep.  This was the situation of the leaders in Israel.  They were feeding themselves rather than the sheep.

Secondly, bad leaders are those who want to be leaders to feed their ego and strengthen their power rather than to empower the people.  In order to cling on to power, they will confer power to those who support them and, worst of all, divide and conquer.  Such leaders seek to cling on to power as long as they can.  They are not keen to raise up new leaders to take over from them or hand over authority to them.

Thirdly, bad leaders are those who choose to be popular.  They are more concerned about what others think than whether they are doing the right things for the good of the people.  When leaders are being led instead of leading their flock, we wonder who the leader is!  Leaders are more than mere coordinators gathering consensus.  It is true that leaders today must work as a team, consult and discern together.  But if leadership is reduced to merely consensus rather than objectivity, there is a danger that with the blind leading the blind, all will go into the ditch.   At the end of the day, a leader, after consultation, must lead by steering all in a certain direction.  A leader leads!

Indeed, such strong and visionary leaders are lacking.  Without a strong leader to show the way, to guide and to bring all peoples together, the organization, the institution of the country will fall apart.  Today, no one is bothered whether a leader is living a life of integrity and honesty, has good moral values, and is exemplary in conduct and in lifestyle.  Political leaders are reduced to CEOs of the country.  So long as the country is advancing technologically and economically, he will be elected into office.

Yet, the truth is that economic and technological advancement in the final analysis, whilst important, are not the cause of happiness and joy.  Peace, happiness and unity of a country cannot exist without morality and good values.  When voters are only concerned with whether their leaders can grow the economy, there will never be peace in the country.  What causes unhappiness is the breakdown of family life, racial and religious conflicts, disorder and insecurity, injustices and discrimination, the loss of meaning and purpose.  So we cannot build a country simply from an economic standpoint.

A leader is to lead his people to greener pasture, a better place, a higher state of life. The prophet warns us, “You have let my flock be scattered and go wandering and have not taken care of them.”   A leader needs to protect those under his care and ensure that they are guided in the right direction where they can find true happiness and life, not just giving them material comforts.

What does it take to be a great leader? By far the most basic and fundamental criterion of leadership is integrity and honesty. This is what the Lord says,  “See, the days are coming when I will raise a virtuous Branch for David, who will reign as true king and be wise, practising honesty and integrity in the land.”  For a leader to be effective, he must have the confidence of his people. Once trust is broken, regardless how great a plan a leader has, no one is going to believe him.

If today the world is so divided, it is because at every level of society, be it politics, religion or economics, we are lacking leaders with integrity and honesty.  The scandals committed by leaders have eroded trust.  When there is no trust in a relationship, whether between leaders and followers, parents and children, husband and wife; teachers and students, there can be no commitment.   Truly, the loss of faith among Catholics in many parts of the world is due to the scandals committed by our religious leaders in terms of lifestyle and infidelity to their vocation, not to speak of the unspeakable crime of pedophilia.  This is true also of marriage.  Many of our young people have lost faith in the institution of marriage because of the failures and infidelity of their own parents.  Today, it is said, we need witnesses rather than teachers.  We need role models.

Secondly, a leader must be in touch with his people.  In the gospel, we read how Jesus felt with the people who were hungry for direction in life.  “So as he stepped ashore he saw a large crowd; and he took pity on them because they were like sheep without a shepherd, and he set himself to teach them at some length.”  Pope Francis asks us to reach out beyond the confines of the comfort zone of the Church, to society and to the world.  A shepherd cannot lead if he cannot identify himself with the sufferings, aspirations and the challenges of his people.

Thirdly, a leader must be compassionate and self-sacrificing.  Compassion comes from identification with others who are suffering. Jesus, because of His compassion for the people, set aside the rest that He and His disciples much needed.  He felt sorry for them and therefore was able to make sacrifices for the people. Truly, a leader is one who always regards the needs of others before his own. When necessary, he is ready as a servant leader to take care of others before his own needs.

Fourthly, a leader must instruct and teach his people.  Indeed, no matter how great a vision one has, if that vision is not disseminated, articulated, explained and publicized, there can be no buy in.  Jesus spent as much time in His ministry teaching and instructing as he did in healing and reaching out.  In today’s gospel “he set himself to teach them at some length”.  Accordingly, the primary role of a bishop is to be a teacher and a prophet, before he is a minister and a leader in governance. We need to enlighten our people in the truth so that they will be convinced and be inspired to walk the way of the Lord. It is not enough to implement policies but to explain why certain policies are implemented for the greater good of the people, not just for today but for future generations.  A leader must teach and help the people to understand what is truly good for society and the nation.

Where do we find such a leader who is prophetic, visionary and much in touch with the lives of his people?  

He must be rooted in Christ.  This is what St Paul says, “For he is the peace between us, and has made the two into one and broken down the barrier which used to keep them apart, actually destroying in his own person the hostility caused by the rules and decrees of the Law.” Only in Christ, can we find the strength and the grace to unite all men and women into one family.

Indeed, he must be in communion with the Lord and turn to Him as his Shepherd.  We must remember that we are after all, shepherds after the heart of Christ.  We are called to shepherd our people the way the Lord leads us to greener pasture and the fullness of life.  Only the Lord can give us repose. One cannot be a leader unless one prays and is in communion with the Lord, so that one’s vision and heart are aligned to that of the Lord.

Finally, a leader must not only be in communion with the Lord but with His Church.  A bishop therefore must always act in communion with the Holy Father and the College of Bishops, taking the cue and direction from him as the chief shepherd.  The priests in this diocese must take direction from the bishop who is the chief shepherd of the diocese.  The laity must take direction from the parish priest who is the shepherd of his parish.  Ministry members must take direction from their ministry leaders who will steer the concrete pastoral actions of the parish in alignment with the general direction of the diocese and the bishop.  In this way, with each aligned with the other, we accomplish the mission in communion, and together we build the Church, the body of Christ, the family of God, united in love, peace and unity.

Written by The Most Rev William Goh

Roman Catholic Archbishop of Singapore

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