Let’s talk about leadership. God wants us to be leaders. You don’t think of your self as a leader? Well perhaps that’s because of the way you think of leadership.

One of the things that I didn't particularly care for as a kid was being bossed around. The way it seemed to my friends and me, back then, was that adults spent way too much time thinking about what kids should and shouldn't do. Parents did it. Teachers did it. Scoutmasters did it and coaches too. Even neighbors did it, sometimes. The neighbor across the street was expert at it. His name was Mr. Haddleton. The kids in my neighborhood called him Crabby Appleton after a cartoon character -- 40 years ago -- who always tried to get Tom Terrific into trouble. Mr. Haddleton spent much of his time gardening. We couldn't understand why he always ran out with hoe in hand -- like Farmer Brown in Peter Rabbit -- to yell at us and chase us out of his yard. We'd play hide and seek in his bushes and he'd chase us off. We'd climb up one of his apple trees and he'd chase us off. We'd have what we called dirt bomb battles -- throwing, like so many hand grenades, small clods of soil newly dredged up by his hard work cultivating the garden. And he'd chase us off. After a while our game became one of how long it would take for old Mr. Haddleton to run out and chase us off. As a very amateur gardener, I understand his concerns, now, but back then he seemed to epitomize the need that adults seemed to have to boss kids around.

As time passed, my friends I went off to middle school. Our bodies started to change and we began to act like adults our selves, or so we imagined. It wasn't always a pretty sight. Sometimes it involved bullying -- more like an exaggerated and mean caricature of adult bossiness. Boys would push each other around in the school corridors -- purposely hip-checking each other into lockers -- to test one another's strength, agility and horseplay courage. We called it playing the role. Girls got into even tighter circles of friends than they had in grade school, and seemed to enjoy pushing others out -- rejecting them, talking about them and laughing at them. Both girls and boys seemed to enjoy calling each other names and making fun of each other in public. We called it ranking each other out. And, I suppose, it really was all about ranking. Far from making us more like the adults we imagined we were becoming, though, bullying actually made us more like other members of the animal kingdom. Pack animals, you know, do the same sorts of things -- to determine which ones will lead the pack. That's not adulthood, which involves responsibility and leadership. It's bullying -- dominance. Sooner or later many kids outgrow bullying. But unfortunately, there are few things that leave so many scars as the wounds bullying leave in people's memories. Some kids turn to drugs or other destructive behaviors to try to numb the pain or find escape. Some people simply become bitter. Others, in what seem to be more sophisticated ways, though not really, carry it on into adulthood. Some adults seem to adopt bullying as a way of life – whether in the family or the workplace. Ultimately, no matter what forms bullying takes, it's pretty much pack animal behavior and not what God had in mind for us humans when He created us in His image. Leadership isn't dominance and it has nothing to do with being alpha males or females, who bully or exclude others. Leadership is different.

Today's readings have something to say about true leadership. The Old Testament reading tells about Moses' leadership of the Israelites, as they were getting ready to enter the Promised Land. God had given Moses to the Hebrews to liberate them from slavery and to show them what it would mean to be God's people. This is what today's story from Numbers tells us about Moses as a leader. One day, Moses provided a negative example. He forfeited the privilege of serving as leader of the Israelites because he lost it. By that I mean that at a critical moment, when everyone was watching him, Moses displayed a lack of trust in God. He became impatient and frustrated, and the people he led saw it. First and foremost, leadership involves providing a positive example. The kind of leaders that God wants us to be are those who lead by example, not coercion.

Now when it became clear that his days were numbered and he wouldn't live to lead the people into their new homeland, the first thing Moses did was pray. He prayed, "Lord, appoint someone over this community to go out and come in before them, one who will lead them out and bring them in, so that the Lord's people will not be like sheep without a shepherd." The kind of leaders God wants us to be are those who look for God to guide us – by prayer -- talking to Him as Moses did.

Moses prayed for God to guide the people so that they wouldn't become bumfuzzled sheep. Sheep keep their noses to the ground. They walk from one edible clump of vegetation to the next. They're only concerned to meet their immediate needs. Lacking the vision of the bigger picture, they can get separated from the rest of the flock and only discover that they're lost when they finally look up. Sheep also scare easily and run in whatever direction seems to provide immediate escape -- even if it leads them into further danger. The kind of leaders God has in mind for us to be is people who are concerned, as Moses was, for the wellbeing of others -- who look to God for help to see the big picture. The kind of leaders God has in mind for us to be are people who aren't concerned about our own power or status -- being in control -- but are concerned to guide others well when the need arises. When God answered Moses' prayer and led him to appoint Joshua as the people's next leader, Moses did it. Moses would probably have preferred that one of his own sons would be his successor, but he followed God's lead. The kind of leaders God has in mind for us to be are people who follow God's lead when it's given. They don't jump to the conclusion that God wants what they want. God's kind of leadership isn't about getting our way, trying to be right, or serving our own purposes. It's about following God's lead and serving others.

The Gospel also tells us something about God’s way of leading too. Jesus is our role model when it comes to leadership. In today’s Gospel reading, one day, the religious leaders cornered Jesus in the Temple. They said, "How long are you going to keep us in suspense? If you're the Messiah, tell us out right." They wanted Jesus to take control. They wanted Him to be a decisive leader. But Jesus replied, "My sheep hear my voice. I know them, and they follow me. And I give them eternal life. No one will snatch them out of my hand." Jesus never imposed His leadership on others. He said what He believed God wanted Him to say, did what He believed God wanted Him to do, and offered an example to others. He left it up to God to guide people. And left it up to people to follow God's guidance or not. He didn't use force or power to lead. His way was to say and do what God wanted, and to trust God to do the rest. His goal, throughout, was to help others come to know God and follow God's lead. Jesus’ way of leading was serving others. He gave us the example of servant leadership.

During the past several years there's been a lot of talk about leadership in our country. It seems to mean making others go along with what people in power believe is right no matter what. That's not leadership. It’s dominance. It’s coercion. That isn't God’s way, and it certainly wasn’t Jesus' way. His concern was to say and do what He sensed God wanted, and to give other people the opportunity to follow His lead or not. He wanted God to have His way and to promote the ultimate wellbeing of others. God's kind of leaders trust, love, serve and do the right thing for others -- keeping their eye on God's big picture -- as Jesus did. Let’s not be afraid to offer positive leadership in our homes, our workplaces and our communities – leading by serving other people as Jesus did.