蜜芽传媒

Good morning.

The lack of in-person campaigning and boisterous hustings events in the run up to yesterday鈥檚 voting, together with that pandemic-induced sense of every day feeling the same, meant that these elections could easily have passed me by.

I chaired an online hustings event recently, and was struck by the level of accord and respect shown. Some of the panel had spent all day on screen answering the same questions, and their tiredness was visible. The technology meant that the debate was less free-flowing, but probably more informative, especially when there was agreement or vulnerability on display.

The leadership expert John C Maxwell is widely quoted as saying:
鈥淎 leader is one who knows the way, goes the way, and shows the way.鈥�

Maxwell鈥檚 idea of the leader who goes first, and is willing to walk the same path as their followers, is good. But the notion that any leader will know the way in a world characterised by volatility and uncertainty may need rethinking in 2021.

Anyone following the vaccine development will have observed the team leadership required by the scientists to find people with expertise, deploy their knowledge and value each individual鈥檚 skills. It takes decisiveness, but also patience.

The Psalmist David wrote:
The Lord is my light and my salvation聽鈥�
聽 聽 whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the stronghold of my life聽鈥�
聽 聽 of whom shall I be afraid?

In these days good leaders may not exactly know the way, but I pray for a light to guide them.

Father, I pray today for those in leadership in our local communities and our nation. Grant them wisdom and the confidence to seek help when they can鈥檛 see the way forward.聽 Amen.