What is True Moral Leadership?

What occupation group is the butt of almost as many jokes in our society as used car salespersons? (Well, besides the president.) On TV, they are very likely to be shown as bumbling, inept, hypocrites.

The minister. Keeper of the flock. Pastor. They go by many names, and most of us have had one or more in our lives at some time. But when you ask people to think of someone who had great influence in their life, three answers you get most commonly are: teachers, parents, and pastors.

A pastor or minister is first of all a leader. But what kind of leader? In reflecting on one minister I know, he is a gifted preacher. He probably could have risen to the top of his denomination. Yet that man was also gifted for seeing the needs of the poor, the imprisoned, victims of injustice. He has literally spent his life following the idea that God asks leaders first of all to be servants. How revolutionary in our society!

I'd like to suggest that the ministers who have had a real influence on our lives are those who take this servant-leader stance. And you can apply this to looking at whatever position you want to look at, whether it is a club president, chief executive officer of a company.

A servant's job is first of all to make sure that other people's needs are being served. What a humbling task: to put the needs of others before your own.

This leads me to the moral crisis in leadership the U.S. has gone through in the past year. What would happen if we had leaders who truly put the needs of others ahead of their own? While it is true that they probably wouldn't get elected in the first place, they all give lip service to putting the needs of others--"the needs of the people"--first. I think again of the pastor I mentioned above who could easily have risen to the top, yet has chosen to serve the poor.

Often at election time we look at the choices on the election ballot and cringe: Is this the best our country can produce?

No! It is not the best we can produce and never will be. Perhaps it is unrealistic to expect that the political process, driven by money and frequent back stabbing, will produce great moral leadership. The very best our country produces are the servant leaders at local levels who work selflessly, endless hours, without much recognition or reward. These may be ministers and all kinds of dedicated caring people who start free clinics and food pantries, clothing ministries and outreach to inmates.

True moral leadership? Well, pastors are as prone to immorality as presidents, but for my money, look to local persons who work at many levels--ministers or otherwise--who seem to have this calling to just be there for other people.

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Contributed by Melanie Schurr (Copyright (c)2005 Melanie Schurr) Melanie Schurr is author of "Ecstatic Living: A Christian marriage manual and Life-guide", "Son Salutations" and "Daily Contemplations", a collection of read-one-a-day modern inspirations. For more information, visit http://www.melanieschurr.com