Two journalists whose work I consistently admire and find thought-provoking are Bill Moyers and Krista Tippett. I watched a portion of Moyer’s public television program the other evening and was astounded by the discussion of some of the material out there in this political campaign season. In particular, I was saddened by the internet attacks on Hillary Clinton. One may not like Hillary Clinton, or one may disagree strongly with her politics, but apparently there are web sites out there that focus on “beating the bitch.” Senator John McCain was even asked by a female supporter in South Carolina, “How do we beat the bitch.” McCain, while he said he respected Senator Clinton, took the question in stride as a question about strategy in presidential politics. Might it have been appropriate for him to say, “Well, we won’t do it by stooping to the use of that kind of language”? While I am disappointed in John McCain on this count, I am less concerned with his particular response than with the vitriol to be found on the internet this election cycle - but back to journalists. The thing I appreciate about Moyers is his willingness to explore difficult topics in depth, as well as his ability to find fascinating topics and wonderful persons to interview.

Krista Tippett is the host of the public radio program Speaking of Faith. I’ve written about her program, and her book, before in this blog. She, too, is a wonderful interviewer and does a fantastic job of finding persons to interview. This fall, one of her interviews was with the Catholic nun Joan Chittister, a woman whose work I am developing a growing appreciation for. I find Chittister’s work wise, intellectually stimulating, spiritually authentic, and generously thoughtful. She is willing to follow a thought down new paths and is open to spiritual truth even when it arrives from religious traditions other than her own. Her most recent book is entitled Welcome to the Wisdom of the World, and in it she explores the wisdom to be found in the world’s religious traditions. On Tippett’s web-site one can listen to the entire interview with Joan Chittister, and also read two of Chittister articles. One of those articles caught my attention as I continue to think about leadership – “Leading the Way: To Go Where There is No Road and Leave a Path.”

In this article, an address to Catholic educators, Chittister sees spiritual leadership as the ability to assess where one is (current reality), see a more significant vision (a meaningful vision of a better future, and ask the right questions along the way. “We cannot – and should not – attempt to lead anyone anywhere unless we ourselves know where we are, where we’re going, and what dangerous questions it will be necessary to ask if we really want to get there.” “Leadership is the ability to see the vision beyond the reality and make a road where no road has been.” In another context I have recently written that leaders cannot drag people to where they do not want to go, but good leaders can help people see new possibilities and help them want to go to places they had never imagined before. In our day and time, Chittister asserts that spiritual leadership is taking people where there are no roads and leaving a path.

None of Chittister’s tasks is simple. There are many maps of our current reality, many ways to describe what is going on. We need always to ask if our current maps are helpful enough, rich enough, accurate enough. Which set of concepts describes reality most accurately? I am convinced that any good description of current reality must also include the possibility of hope. We need to find ways to describe what his going on so as not to remove any motivation for change. Some descriptions I hear of mainline Christianity are so grim and bleak that they leave little motivation for positive change. Are such maps helpful construals of current reality? They may contain truth, but enough of the truth?

Visions of a better future come in all shapes and sizes. Is the Christian vision of a better future apocalyptic, or is a world where the hungry are fed, where swords are made into plowshares, where war no longer finds its way into the curriculum, where justice rolls down like waters, and where flowers bloom in the desert one, that arrives here and there, a little at a time when people are moved by God’s Spirit? If so, how do we get there from here? Maybe it is taking the next step one step at a time, and leaving some markers along the way for others.

Maybe spiritual leadership in our time is as much about asking questions as offering answers, or knowing that every answer we provide needs to be questioned soon thereafter. Maybe leadership in our day is as much a matter of courageous imagination and audacious hope as anything else.

With Faith and With Feathers,

David

Next week I plan to take a bit of a break. I will write, but not about theology (at least explicitly) or leadership or the church. Next week – Christmas music!