Wednesday Prayers: It's a Leadership Issue

Jackson Katz (in a very good, but somewhat long TED talk) addresses the responsibility of those in power to prevent abuse.  He's talking about men, but makes the point that women in power have the same obligation.  Keeping people safe and preventing abuse isn't a sensitivity issue:  it's a leadership issue.  It's the responsibility of people in power.  It's about courage and integrity.

Over the last couple of years, I've become uncomfortably aware of how often Christian communities call people to gentleness and softness, while rejecting courage and toughness as things that might also be from God.  Love your neighbor, love your enemy-- yes.  But don't surrender your power to them.  Don't equip tyrants to destroy that which is sacred.  In many Christian circles, I've found that "power" is a dirty word.  I think it's only dirty when we let it run amok, when we turn our backs on its misuse and hope it will go away.

This week, I'm praying for the clarity to use my own power well, and to honor it as a gift, a blessing, a calling.

Have there been Christians in your life who have used power in holy ways?  Have there been times that you've longed for someone to step up with courage and integrity?




 PS: Hawks, Wayne.