What
does it mean to teach “with authority”? What was the nature and
source of Jesus' authority? (Serendipity Bible 10th
Anniversary Edition, pp 1391-20).
Jesus
spoke with authority for he deeply appreciated the irony and paradox
that underlies life. With this perspective propagated, once latent
truths can flame out suddenly with brilliance and authority. Several
examples include the parable of the Good Samaritan, the rich man
building storehouses for his wealth, the widow's mite, the sons who
said one thing in terms of obedience but did another, the faith of a
Roman soldier. Additionally, the story of the New Testament is
replete with irony and paradox—the Savior born in a stable and
dying on a criminal's cross and with final victory enabled by defeat.
Today
we celebrate Martin Luther King, Jr. He too was a man who spoke with
authority. Who can forget the tenor of his voice and the power of
his words? He too appreciated the revelatory power of irony and
paradox. A central lesson he taught was: "All men are caught
in an inescapable network of mutuality." (See reference below.)
Certainly this is a key paradox in human social life. For the
ultimate object of close mutuality is to free the human
spirit—especially that of the individual. For individuals to be
truly free, they must exist in a tight matrix of social
interdependency. Let's see how this works in a few simple examples.
I am highly dependent upon the sanitation systems of my city. I
would be a much less free—with significantly less free time—if I
had to fetch my own water, dispose of my own feces and other wastes.
Another example, as a youngster I was assigned the socially
responsible task of learning to read, thus in a sense tying me down
with a chore. However, the obvious objective was not to enslave me
or curtail my freedom, but to allow me to emerge a free, literate
man. Thus whenever we see on the surface a free spirit flying high
like a butterfly, we should never forget beneath the surface such
freedom is a byproduct of tight mutuality.
The
reference below lists 10 interesting Leadership Lessons of MLK.
David
Peck - Martin Luther King's Leadership Lessons:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/david-peck/martin-luther-kings-leade_b_4630246.html
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