Lent Reflection #6

I read today about Korah's Rebellion in Numbers 16, when a group of Levites rose up against Moses.  Verse 3 jumped out at me: "You have gone too far!  All the congregation are holy, everyone of them, and the Lord is among them.  So why then do you exalt yourselves above the assembly of the Lord?"  If you read that verse out of context, there would be a large number of people who would get behind that sentiment when it comes to pastors, local church leaders, or denominational leaders.  There's definitely a wave of Korah-esque anti-elitism going on in our country right now.  It's not necessarily anti-authority, but definitely anti-establishment - in both secular and religious life.

Here are some random thoughts that have been bouncing around in my head since reading that passage this morning:

• The current attitude in much of our culture can be boiled down to one confrontational question and one confrontational statement: "Who do  you think you are?" and "You can't tell me what to do!"  In many cases, that question and that statement reflect a deep-seated immaturity, an unwillingness to recognize appropriate authority or legitimate systems of accountability. 
• 50 years ago, more people had more respect for credentialed and educated professionals.  Some of that still remains - I'm occasionally taken aback by the change in many people's attitude towards me once they find out that I'm a minister.  But, by and large, diplomas and credentials don't carry the same weight that they once did.  I'm not entirely sure that this is a bad thing.  But it's not very helpful when people assume that spending a few hours on the internet, or reading one or two books, or watching a few YouTube videos puts them on the same level as people who have devoted their lives to certain fields of study or certain vocations. 
• Knee-jerk anti-authoritarian attitudes like Korah and his posse displayed is ultimately corrosive and destructive.   If I want to be like Jesus, I can't be like Korah.  The flip side of the coin is that blind, unthinking obedience is also corrosive and destructive.  The example of John Wesley is a good one - he was highly educated, extremely intelligent, and saw clearly that all of that stuff took a definite back seat to his faith in Jesus.

It is vitally important for leaders in the church (ordained or not) to recognize the source of any authority or power that they might have - it all comes from God.  All of it.  It is a gift of grace and as such is to be handled and used with grace.  As Jesus tells James and John, the work of the disciple of Jesus is to become a servant to all.  This is the paradox of leading like Jesus.  As a quote I once read puts it: "if anything is beneath you, leadership is beyond you." 

I think of that quote whenever I'm walking through the parking lot at the church and I see a piece of trash.  There's a split second where I selfishly think, "that's not my responsibility".  Then I remember that quote and I'm reminded that there is no work in God's Kingdom that is beneath me. 

And I'm sorry that today's post is kinda all over the place...some days it's pretty easy and other days, not so much.