A couple of years ago, a young woman who wanted to go to college sent applications to various schools. One of those schools responded with a more thorough questionnaire. Her heart sank when she read one of the questions: “Are you a leader?” Being honest, she answered, “no,” and returned the application expecting the worst. To her surprise, she received this response from the college: “Dear Applicant, a study of the application forms for this year reveals that our college will soon have 1,452 new leaders. We are accepting you because we feel it is imperative that they have at least one follower!”
Today it is our turn to answer this same question: “Are you a leader?” Fear not if your answer right now is “no.” The fact is: Jesus, our true leader, needs at least one follower. He did not come among us as a world leader, as a brave general, or as a bright philosopher. He spent most of His life living in an unimportant village, ignored by virtually everybody. Only at the end of His life as “all things had been handed over to Him by His Father” did He begin to preach about His Father’s love, and to proclaim the Kingdom of Heaven as something real and present in the world.
In a sense, God the Father does not need 1,452 leaders. God needs just one follower and Jesus Himself became that faithful and obedient follower: “Christ emptied Himself, taking the form of a slave, coming in human likeness; He humbled Himself, becoming obedient to death, even death on a cross. Because of this, God greatly exalted Him and bestowed on Him the name that is above every name.” (Philippians 2, 7-9) God is the leader and Jesus was His messenger before He became “the message” for all of us. “Come and follow me” Jesus says in Matthew 4, 19. As we follow Him, let’s make sure we remember that our faith is a response to Him as a living, loving person, not just a set of principles or a creed we have to embrace. He calls us each day in a personal and immediate way. Do we dare to be His followers – today?
Will you come and follow me if I but call your name?
Will you go where you don’t know and never be the same?
Will you let my love be shown, will you let my name be known,
will you let my life be grown in you and you in me?
(The Summons, OCP)
