True Leadership

Lately I've noticed that our President has been the victim of a lack of respect in his speeches. People don't just yell "Liar" at him, they murmer, grumble, and try to shout him down at times. When I was a kid, if I had backtalked a teacher or adult like that, I'd have gotten a slap across my mouth. (I dimly remember my brother once washing my mouth out with soap for one of those faux pas moments, too. Nasty stuff, that green soap).

We don't have to agree with where our President is taking the nation, nor do we have to kowtow to pressure to follow his leadership. But we should pay the office the respect it is due, regardless of how angry he may make us. Shouting him down, yelling words of cursing toward him does not fix the situation, it simply backs him into defense mode and makes things worse. So stop it, everyone. You're feeding the problem instead of fixing it.

As for our President's part, may he take heed to these words of advice: a true leader should command respect by his or her very nature. A true leader never has to resort to intimidation, pressure, lies, deception, corruption, or other nefarious means to obtain the respect he or she is due. Leadership is about the natural ability to create trust -- and that comes from a clean heart that truly contains compassion rather than ambition. Ambition, power lust, greed, and an arrogant spirit require force to bring about respect. But a true leader needs none of those things to show himself or herself a leader: their very presence creates an atmosphere of peace and hope.

I once had a dear friend, now deceased, who instantly commanded respect. He walked into a room and everyone felt safe. They all felt loved and protected and hopeful, just by his very presence. His name was Archbishop Unuigbo of Nigeria. He even made strangers feel like he was their best friend. He honored and respected everyone in his path. His anger was aroused only against those who would do others harm, and if the situation arose, get out of his way because those people were toast. No one would ever have thought of heckling him during a speech, or getting his face to speak ill of him. He wasn't very tall, but he was a true leader. One day, he and his family died in a tragic car crash. I will never forget his gift of leadership, his open heart, his compassion for others.

All of us have natural giftings- if we are true leaders we will cultivate those qualities which bring about the best for those for which we are responsible . The Bible teaches that to be great, you need to be a servant. One can only hope that one day Mr Obama will understand that bulldozing his programs through Congress, or apologizing his way through the nations is not the mark of a true leader. And then perhaps, the hecklers, the naysayers, the anger will die down enough to bring about healing in our nation.