Servant leadership is leading by example and paying things forward

John 13:1-15. Jesus washes the feet of His disciples

“If I, therefore, the master and teacher, have washed your feet, you ought to wash one another’s feet.”

We are called to believe leaders not because they are in power, but because their works are worth emulating.

As the national elections draw near, which candidate has an authentic and admirable body of work worth emulating? Who will be the leader who will serve the servants and the constituents, not make them serve him?

[DAILY GOSPEL INSIGHTS AND REFLECTION FOR MANAGEMENT AND ORGANIZATION 104: APRIL 14, 2022]

Loving despite betrayal

John 13:21-33, 36-38. One of you will betray me

Looking at the story of Jesus as a narrative of love, the “plot twist” or the “tension” in the story seems to be: can love still reign despite betrayal?

In a sense, betrayal is heartache of heartaches, and it can be construed as the other end of the spectrum when we talk about faith, love, and trust. In the face of suffering and multiple forms of betrayal throughout the Old and New Testament, we get to appreciate the many faces of love — charity, justice, mercy, and so on.

If we view the Bible as a love story depicted in many contexts, we get to appreciate love’s multiple manifestations. It can be an initial impulse or feeling. It can be a solution to break the cycle of generational revenge. It may be hard to understand in a context like Job’s, where his inquiry both challenges and deepens his love for God. It can also be God Incarnate, manifested through Jesus being both God and human.

In a sense, the new commandment of love is a great way to live a life filled with uncertainty and fallibility. Humans have inherent limits, and the concept of love can both simplify how to live life yet provide the most profound meaning. Love requires creativity — how can we still “love” our enemies and our betrayers? How can we still dignify them as persons? We will have to undertake our own journey with love as a sort of “general guiding framework”. We’ll have to pay attention to our experiences, intelligently gain insights on how we apprehend love in our own context, and judge in complex situations how love can reign supreme despite all the the sin that surrounds us.

Personally, even if the next generation of scholars, philosophers, and theologians somehow prove that Jesus is not God, it will not really matter to me. If the resurrection turns out to be fiction, does it really change the moral and message of the gospels and the parables? It’s only through faith and divine revelation that we can get a transcendent understanding of God and the divine.

But in a pragmatic and real-life sense, Jesus the human seems to sufficiently provide a “blueprint” of how to live a life of love despite sin, despite heartbreak, and despite betrayal.

[DAILY GOSPEL INSIGHTS AND REFLECTION FOR MANAGEMENT AND ORGANIZATION 102: APRIL 12, 2022]

How can we give our selves when we don’t know our selves?

Luke 22:14 – 23:56. The Crucifixion

Can we give up or sacrifice something we do not know nor own? The beauty and pain of sacrifice lies in the willful choice of another to give up something of value for another without expecting personal gain.

In a sense, for us to give our selves for others, I think it is imperative that we “know our authentic selves” so our sacrifice could be holistic. Thus, the full authenticity of a sacrifice requires the apprehension of one’s authentic self.

A CEO or a leader choosing to take significant pay cuts to improve overall employee pay may be seen as a form of sacrifice. A social entrepreneur reneging one’s negotiation leverage to prioritize fair pay may be seen as a form of sacrifice. But what makes these authentic sacrifices, from a personal perspective, is the full awareness of what they could have gained for themselves should they have pursued a different alternative.

[DAILY GOSPEL INSIGHTS AND REFLECTION FOR MANAGEMENT AND ORGANIZATION 100: APRIL 10, 2022]

We can understand the virtuous through their works

John 10:31-42. Believe the works

Because our understanding is limited, we need evidence. The evidence of the virtuous and the virtuosos is in their works or their body of work. In a sense, faith enters when we acknowledge the limits of our reason, but it does not mean that we abandon reason altogether.

Jesus has consistently tried to demonstrate evidences and signs, and it is comforting to know that He does not require blind obedience. He invites us to look at His works and conclude for ourselves.

When a person claims “I am virtuous”, that person could be seen as boastful if the claim is not supported by facts. When a person claims “I am not virtuous” but in fact he does have the body of work to support his claim, he could be seen as being falsely humble, understating the grace God has given him.

Thus, an interesting challenge of authenticity is to have a very sober understanding of one’s body of work. Both pride and false humility are sins; thus, it is imperative for a person to reflect and discern continuously, to examine one’s life through one’s deeds.

[DAILY GOSPEL INSIGHTS AND REFLECTION FOR MANAGEMENT AND ORGANIZATION 98: APRIL 8, 2022]

What does it mean to be free?

John 8:31-42. The truth will set you free

When we think of “freedom”, we think of positive things and pleasant imaginations. However, freedom is not necessarily convenient or free from pain.

I interpret authentic freedom as having enough agency to counteract structural or societal forces. (Note: I’m not using the word “absolute” to describe freedom; I prefer to use “authentic”). Authentic freedom means having the power to choose and be responsible for the consequences of that choice.

When we think of falsehood and bullshit, these are narratives that are powered by personal or tribal agenda. (Or maybe the more appropriate term is propaganda?) In a sense, false narratives are meant to control individual and group behavior by twisting facts. In doing so, we deprive the audience to think for themselves and arrive at their conclusions through their own agency.

In a sense, the truth is empowering (though sometimes uncomfortable) because it allows the thinker-doer to navigate through life without being manipulated by a more powerful structure or group. The truth serves as an anchor or a guidepost, and it can strip away power dynamics.

If the truth is upheld, the have-nots of society can theoretically go against the rich. It is an equalizer. Or dare I say, it’s a liberator.

But equality, freedom, and authenticity are not without pain. In a sense, it’s inconvenient.

It’s inconvenient to think for ourselves. It’s more convenient to be spoonfed facts!

It’s inconvenient to face the truth. It’s more convenient and blissful to be ignorant!

It’s inconvenient to be free. It’s more convenient to be told directions!

We say we want to be free. But how could we be free when upholding the truth is too inconvenient for us?

[DAILY GOSPEL INSIGHTS AND REFLECTION FOR MANAGEMENT AND ORGANIZATION 96: APRIL 6, 2022]