What Makes a Leader Great?

Mark 10:43 “Whoever wishes to become great among you must be your servant.”

Summary: On this Election Day, I am reflecting on how Jesus calls us to use our influence with humility, courage, and care for our neighbors.

Dear Friends,

As I write this, it is Election Day. With so much attention on who will lead us, I find myself asking a deeper question: What makes a leader worthy of our trust?

Joshua Jipp’s book, How (Not) to Be a Tyrant: Ten Lessons on Life and Leadership from the Bible’s Worst Rulers, offers an uncomfortable starting point. He examines biblical rulers, including Pharaoh and Pilate, to explore destructive uses of power alongside Jesus’ example of integrity, mercy, and sacrificial love.

That comparison gives me pause. It is easy to recognize the misuse of power in someone I already disagree with. It takes more honesty to examine the leaders I admire, or the ways I use my own influence.

As a priest, I need that reminder.

I want to notice whose voices I make room for. Can someone disagree with me without fearing that they will lose their place in our community? Am I willing to admit when I am wrong? Do I listen to understand, even when listening might change my plans?

These are questions I want to bring to public leadership, too. I want leaders who tell the truth, accept accountability, and recognize the humanity of people who cannot offer them anything in return. I want to ask whose lives become safer under their leadership and whose concerns go unheard.

For me, Jesus’ call to serve gives those questions their urgency. Leadership carries responsibility for real people, especially those most easily overlooked.

And service takes courage. Sometimes loving our neighbors means challenging a harmful decision, defending someone’s dignity, or refusing to join in cruelty, even when people on our own side are participating.

Whatever this election brings, I know our baptismal promises will still be waiting for us tomorrow. We will still be called to seek and serve Christ in all persons and respect the dignity of every human being.

My prayer is that we will expect that kind of care from our leaders and practice it ourselves. Here at St. Augustine, we have daily opportunities to begin.

In service,

Pastor Anny+

Prayer for the Week

God of wisdom and mercy, guide those entrusted with power, and help me use my own influence with humility, courage, and love. Keep drawing us toward the good of all your people. Amen.