Reflections on Leadership

Being Vehicles of God’s Love and Grace in a Divided World

October 30, 2024

I grew up in Texas during school desegregation and the racial violence that followed. My first effort to find a solution to racism and injustice was serving on the “human relations” committee at my middle school. I thought that if we worked hard enough for long enough it would get better. I am heartsick over the reality we now face. I am still committed to leading toward a better way. Yet, how do we lead at such a time as this? I am convinced that we must lead from a moral center, with courage and with hope.

Leading from a Moral Center

Our current challenges are not about differences in policy or opinion. They are about the values by which we will choose to live. They also are about whether we will choose to draw clear distinctions in values. 

We can look to history for an example. Slavery, for instance, was never just a difference of opinions. It represented a set of values that claimed full humanity only for Whites. It was a system that threatened the lives, livelihoods and dignity of Blacks.

Slavery was clearly wrong. The racism that undergirded it was unjust and immoral. Yet today, racism is gaining such traction that speakers at a recent rally could refer to a prominent Black woman as a prostitute without any pushback at the event. People laughed at coarse jokes about Black people eating watermelons (a racial slur that has a long history). And Americans from Puerto Rico were referred to as living on an “island of garbage.”[1]

As Christian leaders, we must condemn the racism, misogyny and “othering” that undergird such statements. We must be clear that identity-based hatred is antithetical to the Gospel. Our faith calls us to make clear distinctions. The prophets knew this when they drew distinctions between what was good and what was not (Micah 6: 11-12). The prophet Micah said it clearly,

“He has told you, O mortal, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice and to love kindness and to walk humbly with your God?” (Micah 6: 8 NRSV).

This is a time to discern the good and the values at the center of our leadership. This is a time to decide which lines we will not cross.  But to do that will take courage.

Lead with Courage

I have just returned from a trip tracing the journeys of the Apostle Paul through Greece and Turkey. We visited Philippi, Thessaloniki, and Ephesus, among other sites. Throughout our journeys, we were reminded of the challenges that Paul and his followers faced. We reflected on the courage it took to face those challenges.

One such story is about Paul driving out a spirit of divination from a slave girl. Paul sets this girl free, but her owners are angry because they can no longer exploit her. As Acts 16 recounts: “But when her owners saw that their hope of making money was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the marketplace before the authorities,” (Acts 16: 19 NRSV).

The crowd attacked Paul and Silas. The authorities beat and imprisoned them. It took courage for Paul and Silas to practice moral leadership in the face of such opposition. It will take courage for us to lead in our times as well. Such courage is hard, especially in an environment in which so many are stoking fear. We must ask God for the strength to practice as much courage as we can.

Lead with Hope

William Sloan Coffin made a prophetic statement in one of his sermons. He said, “Hope criticizes what is, hopelessness rationalizes it. Hope resists, hopelessness adapts.”[2] My prayer is that we will not rationalize or adapt to the growing authoritarianism and violence around us. Rationalization and adaptation come in many forms. For instance, we rationalize by trying to convince ourselves that the violent and anti-democratic language we hear will not find its way into action. Or we try to adapt by remaining silent. Still, authoritarian movements are gaining traction all around the globe. We are no exception. And what is happening around us has real consequences.

If we have hope that our national discourse can be healthier, that our civic life can be less divided, and that we can learn to discern truth from lies, then we will not rationalize or adapt to authoritarianism. We instead will resist conspiracy theories and attacks on democracy. If we have hope for peace, we will not adapt to violence. We instead will insist on respectful dialogue and the peaceful transfer of power.  

What does Scripture and our United Methodist tradition say?

We cannot justify a type of moral relativity that suggests that the ends justify the means. Jesus knew this when he laid out his extensive reinterpretation of the Law in the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5-7. The challenge of his teaching as it relates to moral leadership can be summed up in this verse,

“Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the road is easy that leads to destruction, and there are many who take it. For the gate is narrow and the road is hard that leads to life, and there are few who find it,” (Matthew 7: 13-14 NRSV).

In our current context, the gate to moral leadership, peaceful dialogue and life together is narrow. I am hopeful that, as United Methodists, we will have the courage to take the narrow way. We can do this by living into our membership vows to reject evil, repent of our sin and accept the freedom and power God gives us to resist evil, injustice, and oppression in whatever forms they present themselves. We can do this when we put our whole trust in God’s grace and promise to serve Christ as Lord in union with the Church which Christ has opened to people of all ages, nations, and races.[3]

What should we look for?

  • Notice racist or otherwise hateful language and do not dismiss it. The use of such language is an indicator of character, and character usually drives behavior. Language sets a tone for what will follow.
  • Notice rationalizations of violent language, calls for violence or violent acts. Such rationalizations permit violence and allow it to spread.

What we can do?

  • Read together. Read On Tyranny: Twenty Lessons from the Twentieth Century by historian Timothy Snyder. It is a concise and prophetic guidebook on how to lead within an authoritarian environment.
  • Get involved. If you have not already done so, plan to vote on Tuesday, November 5. Recognize that people gave their lives to secure the right to vote. Don’t take their sacrifice for granted. In the days after the election, lead in ways that bring peace with justice. Continue to pray for election workers and for our democracy.  
  • Meditate on Scripture and pray. Study the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew, Chapters 5-7. These chapters lay out Jesus’ interpretation of how to live a Godly life. Meditate especially on Matthew 7:15-20. What is this passage calling you to do?
  • Practice moral clarity. Be as courageous as you can. Have the courage to say no.

Please pray with me:

Loving God, give us the peace that surpasses all understanding. Grant us courage to face this hour.  In Christ’s name we pray, Amen.

See all resources at Beloved Community - An Antidote to Extremism.

[1] BBC News, https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cy9jj2g75q4o

[2] Coffin, William Sloan. Credo. Louisville, Westminster John Knox Press, 2004,  p. 132.

[3] This is a paraphrase of our membership vows found in The United Methodist Book of Worship, p. 100.

Bishop Kennetha J. Bigham-Tsai is resident bishop of the Iowa Annual Conference of The United Methodist Church. She shares episcopal leadership of the Illinois Great Rivers Conference with Bishop David A. Bard (Michigan Conference). This post is republished with permission from the Iowa Conference website.