Faith Files
RAFAEL Nadal knew he had to quit. It wasn’t worth the risk of another match, despite the so-close prospect of a recordbreaking Grand Slam victory. His health is even more important.
Boris, however, waited until the ship had sunk. Despite even many of his supporters realising it was over, his stubborn determination to continue with his childhood dream ultimately meant it all came crashing down in the worst possible way.
There’s nothing wrong with ambition when it leads us to work hard and do good. But when it becomes so all consuming that we’re blinded to the effect on others, then something has gone badly wrong.
Leadership should be about serving. It’s not about the one at the top, rather those they’ve been put there to care for. Lose sight of that and you’re left with a dictator.
Jesus had much to say about this, and modelled servant leadership perfectly. Although being the Heaven’s First Citizen, he came and lived a humbly on earth.
He would do jobs normally left for the lowest of slaves, and encouraged everyone else to follow this example.
He spoke words of comfort for the marginalised, but had strong warnings for those who climbed over them to reach the top. The Bible says, “God opposes the proud, but shows favour to the humble”.
We live in a society where there’s races to the top everywhere – winning at sport, promotion at work, having a better car than the neighbours – you name it. But all these things are ultimately fleeting.
One day, at the end of our brief time on the planet, we will have to leave it all behind. Then we will have to stand before God and make an account of our lives, and anything that isn’t of value will be discarded like dross. Prime Ministers and paupers alike will stand together as equals.
And so the race for the next PM begins.
Colleagues will battle it out to show why they should be the one. It would be nice to think that they’ll focus on what they would do for the country, and not why their rivals are no good (remembering that later they might need their support). We will see.
Let’s pray that whoever ends up in post will work for the good of everyone in these turbulent times.
Tim Gossling