Great change can be birthed in difficulty
Foreign occupation, political oppression, people forced to leave their homes for fear of their lives, the killing of innocent children…….. so many heartbreaking stories fill the news channels at the moment. As we approach Christmas, those who are mid-preparations writing Christmas cards, attending school nativity services and singing carols will be fully aware of the images of baby Jesus born in a stable surrounded by angels, shepherds and wise men.
The reality of the context in which Jesus was born was not dissimilar from what we are witnessing today. Born in Israel under Roman occupation, to a poor family, who had to escape as refugees to Egypt to flee the cruel slaughter of innocent children by a jealous and power-hungry king.
This Christmas, Christians around the world will be celebrating the coming of Jesus - someone who taught and exemplified a different way of living centred around love, compassion, forgiveness, service and self-sacrifice, whilst living in a context of powerful, foreign occupation with plenty of enemies who wanted him killed.
As leaders, we can’t always choose the contexts in which we exist and operate. Thankfully most of us will never have to deal with the level of crisis and tragedy that many in the world are having to endure, but no doubt we will all face times when things are not as they should be and where we can feel at the mercy of bigger powers. However, as the life of Jesus and many other leaders across history show, great change can be birthed in difficulty. Against the seemingly greater powers, we can model and exemplify another way. As Mahatma Gandhi put it, we can “be the change we want to see.”
Reflection:
To what extent do you tend to lose hope, or fail to act, because of the difficulty of your context?
In what ways can you model a different way when faced with seemingly greater powers?
How can you lead by being the change you want to see?
An exchange from The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien on moving forward despite the difficulties we face:
Frodo: "I wish none of this had happened."
Gandalf: "So do all who live to see such times, but that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us."
(*Thanks to James Clear's 3-2-1 email, 21 November 2024)