In the silence of a dusty morning, in my mind, I could hear the cathedral’s organ. I listened, and nothing else mattered. Whatever activity was going on diminished to the point that I could not discern their action. The sound and majesty echoing and soaring, lifting me up. It filled my heart with awe. I felt taken by the music and carried from one note to another. The experience was an artist’s hand, first in composing and then through another, in playing.
I appreciate the role each pipe played in my experience. Certain pipes were more forceful than others. Yet, the combination and how they were delivered gifted me with my experience. No one pipe was greater than the other. The musical artistry was the collaboration and community with a leader in the moment.
As I sense a calling to lead, life reminds me of mantras to shape my actions and words.
Leadership is grounded in a combination of compassion with sight. When one sees what can be and deeply cares, leadership emerges. If I am to embrace this, I need to start within. Deeply caring for one’s heart and soul is a priority. Taking time to reflect on where my path will lead is another. One must care for one’s heart and soul if one intends to care for others.
Leadership is a story of the many, building on every story of the one. When I see and bring out the best in the individuals around me, I experience the potential of a community. We need our diversity. We need the big and the small, the highs and the lows. The challenges will be across the spectrum. The opportunity to step towards a better future begins with capturing each need and pain point and infusing it with hope. Everyone will have a role to play. Together, we can create compassionate beauty that carries everyone in its wake.
Divinity offered the model that “Christ as Son is in charge of the house” (Hebrews 3.6). It does not end there. The invitation to collaborate is open.
