Thursday, February 28, 2008

A Lesson for Leaders






As a sometime consultant to Churches and Organizations I am watching the current presidential race with great interest. In it I think we see why so many Preachers and Organizational Presidents with great ideas fail so miserably. They have not learned the lesson Jesus tried so hard to teach: Love covers a multitude of weaknesses, sins and bad ideas.

Obama has little experience and almost no ideas different from Hillary. But he is overwhelming her like a tsunami over a fishing boat. Why? It is rhetoric but no all talk. His talk is warm, peaceful, kindly, thoughtful and never mean. He is self effacing, gentle and careful not to hit an opponent directly. He is the Karate
Kid in action.

Hillary goes negative and is rejected for it. Bill pulls the race card and is punished by the press. Hillary cries, drops her hankie and no one picks it up to save the damsel in distress. She attacks and he wins.
So many conservative preachers and politicians need to learn from this. Willy Cunningham, Sean and Rush need the lesson. As Paul said, "Let nothing that does not edify come out of your mouth." It is the process as well as the content of the message. Jesus was clear to say that the ways we treat each other is more important than what we say about out faith.

John McCain knows it and immediately confronted Willy's mistakes. This election will not be won by personal attacks. Reagan could not be defeated by negative attacks and Obama cannot be beaten that way. Perhaps McCain can win if he combines truth and love. Paul said those two in tandem were winners. But, it might well be the "Year of the Democrats".

Can we theologically conservative Christians gain from this process?? The candidates are spending a couple of hundred million dollars to get to the Washington they all profess to hate. That is an awfully expensive school ma rm but it will be even more tragic if we miss its meaning after they have worked so hard to train us.

Gary Sweeten
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