Ep 89 - After the Applause

On this Ascension Sunday, we reflect on leadership, humility, and knowing when to let go. Inspired by a striking new Banksy artwork, this episode explores the danger of leaders who become so consumed by their own agendas that they lose sight of where they are leading others.

In contrast, Jesus shows us a different kind of leadership — one rooted in trust, humility, and the courage to pass the mission on to others. Even as he ascends to the Father, Christ entrusts his disciples with continuing his work in the world.

What does it mean to lead well… and to know when it is time to step aside? ✨

Transcript

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Hello and welcome to episode 89 of Brother from Another Father as we celebrate Ascension Sunday. Two weeks ago, the internationally acclaimed street artist Banksy did it again and dropped another masterpiece into the streets of central London. It features a statue of a leader marching determinantly head-along off a precipice. He is so full of his own self-importance, he does not realize that the flag that he is carrying, billowing in the wind, has obscured his whole face, so that he cannot see that he is leading both himself and the people following him off a cliff. The piece oozes Banksy's trademark satire as the leader's bold determination is evidently what makes him oblivious to the fact that he is about to lead himself and all those following him into destruction. His determination is laughable because he is walking blind. He is carrying a flag that is flapping in the wind, and therefore he cannot see where he is going, cannot see that he is about to walk off a cliff. It is a sad commentary on how patriotism and a public agenda can whip us up into such a frenzied sense of self-righteousness that we can walk eagerly towards our own destruction. It speaks volumes about our contemporary leaders who do not realize when it is time to leave the stage, who do not know when it is time to realize that the baton must be passed on to others, and they must abandon their own agenda, pursuing their own ego and their own senseless projects. Today we celebrate the ascension, Jesus's physical departure from human history, to go and be with the Father. In today's gospel, we see Jesus addressing his disciples and telling them to continue his mission. Jesus instructs them to go out to all nations and baptize and teach them all that they themselves have learnt from him. So Jesus is effectively leaving the stage and passing the baton on to us. There must have been times in Jesus' public ministry when he would have been tempted to revel in his own popularity. Jesus was clearly a great orator and a compelling and attractive teacher. For much of his public ministry, Jesus had adoring crowds thronging him. It used to be thought that Jesus' public ministry lasted somewhere around three years, but more recently some scripture scholars have suggested that it probably did not last much longer than a year. By modern political career standards, this is an extremely short career. We must ask ourselves why did Jesus leave the stage so quickly? Admittedly, his departure from the stage was not completely within his own control. He could not control the rising opposition to his ministry that eventually got him crucified in Jerusalem. But he did have other options. He could have prolonged his ministry in Galilee and deferred his visit to Jerusalem that ultimately got him killed. Alternatively, he could have decided to stick around much longer after his resurrection and continue teaching and encouraging his disciples. There is a saying that goes, leave the stage while people are still clapping. This thing encapsulates the wisdom of leaving when you are at the peak of your popularity so that your legacy is praised instead of being derided. The longer one stays in a position of power, the more one risks people's admiration, turning to irritation and disregard, as the shine of novelty wears off and people are reminded of the intractable problems of daily life that no leader will ever be able to completely remove. Part of what is attractive about leaders who leave the stage while people are still clapping is the implicit acknowledgement on their part that perhaps there are people who would be able to do the job better than themselves. This is clearly not the case with Jesus though, as it would have been blindingly clear to both Jesus and his disciples that no one would be able to do a better job than him. In leaving the stage so quickly, Jesus demonstrates an immense trust in his disciples, and by extension, an immense trust in us who are left to carry on his mission. As anyone who has ever had a mentor will know, it is always daunting to step into the shoes of your mentor, especially when you feel woefully unprepared for it. This was probably the feeling of the disciples on that mountain that day, as they saw Jesus depart from them and leave them with his mission. They would have felt hugely unprepared to take up the mantle of his mission that he laid upon their shoulders. Anyone who does not feel slightly daunted before a mission and a task of leadership is perhaps not measuring adequately the demands and challenge posed by that leadership. This is the problem with Banksy's leader in the statue. He is too sure of himself. Every good leader needs a certain measure of self-doubt, a healthy dose of respect for the difficulty of the mission that lies before him. This doubt should not paralyze us or keep us staring into the sky like the disciples in the first reading from the Book of Acts, wishing that Jesus would come back immediately. Jesus' promise to us is that he will be with us always until the end of time, and this should console us, and his trust in us should galvanize us into action, knowing that if we act guided by his spirit, we will successfully continue on his mission. God bless and have a good Sunday.