Fuzzy Leadership & The Grand Disconnect

The Grand Disconnect

I believe that one of the major obstacles for getting the proper paradigm for leadership the way Jesus modeled it is getting rid of the Grand Disconnect. What is the Grand Disconnect?
Simply this: When we read and see what Jesus did, we have this tendency to see it as something that it was just Jesus. But in reality it was (and is) God doing it . . .


So Jesus said to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of his own accord, but only what he sees the Father doing. For whatever the Father does, that the Son does likewise.
(Joh 5:19 ESV)


Jesus said to him, "Have I been with you so long, and you still do not know me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, 'Show us the Father'?
(Joh 14:9 ESV)

So here we have THE Creator of everything seen & unseen, (HE who has ALL Power; He who can just speak and what was not now is . . . ) Moving and Breathing among us.

And He doesn't make us do anything. Instead, He invites. He shows us the Way but doesn't make us walk it or force it on us. He may choose to rattle our cage (thinking of Saul soon-to-be-Paul here . . .) but choice is still our option.

So when we read of Jesus washing the feet of the disciples, we are seeing God Almighty washing the feet of ordinary, messed-up, mistake-prone folks like you and me. This is HE who could (with all Just & Rightness & Authority) point His finger at us and say "DO IT!" and we would because He has the Might and the Power.


Then he said to me, "This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel: Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the LORD of hosts.
(Zec 4:6 ESV)

If there was anyone who had the right (AND the Power) to be a control-freak it would be Jesus.
But we don't see Him being that or doing that. He invites us in, opens up the way in for us, but doesn't force. I want to say that He models but somehow that doesn't feel right (has a shadow of disconnect in it). It is more of a healthy enabling; an empowering . . . or at least a "potential-ing" (gee, new word there! May my English and Grammar teachers forgive me . . .) of empowering.

And in the reading of John 13:1-14, I see God "potential-ing" the disciples in the way of leadership that is of the Kingdom. Not a leadership that controls, manipulates nor coerces.
But a leadership that truly enables, empowers and invites.

"But what about confrontation?"
Yes, He does challenge us. He shakes and rattles us. But always from the core of Love.
This is something we shall explore later . . .