29 May 2010
Fantasy that hurts
Not all dreams are good
I’ve been doing a bit of reflection on my own journey with leadership and have realised something:
Whenever someone felt really strongly about wanting to do a particular role, and I let them, it didn’t work.
I also see in me, the times I am attracted to a role it is usually when I am feeling most fragmented on the inside.
I’m realising that even talking about community can be a bit like that.
Dietrich Bonhoeffer said:
“He who loves community, destroys community; he who loves the bretheren, builds community.”
Basically Bonhoeffer is saying that those people with an idea or fantasy in their head that they are trying to act out, are dangerous. It is only those who will put up with the messiness of real life and real people and still love them that actually build community.
When I was in radio I came across many people who wanted to be radio announcers, I have met people who want to be writers and others who want to be youthworkers.
Bonhoeffer’s quote, I believe could be transposed into most settings:
Those who want to be on radio are deadly boring, its only those who want to serve and love the listeners who succeed.
Those who want to be writers will live a futile life, its only those with something to say that will serve readers,
Those who want to be youthworkers are dangerous, it is only those who want to go through the work of loving young people who help young people.
Community needs to be much more than an idea, so does life. When we are operating from a fantasy role or idea we are dangerous.
In my view, a God-given dream is more about the outcome than your place in it. I have found that leadership sometimes requires me to speak in front of a lot of people, and sometimes requires me to clean toilets. If you have a God-given dream you will probably find yourself doing lots of different roles, depending on what is needed in the moment. The focus on a role can be dangerous.
Jesus was always toughest on people with good ideas who didn’t really do the work to bring the ideas into reality.
True! As you just be you find your being… and others find theirs too. I find the not looking for a role so challenging though – but much more satisfying in the long run when I am able to respond to what’s needed wholeheartedly instead of what I believe I need to be. But wrestle with the notion that I am made in a particular way was well, and some things jive better than other.
heather
May 30th, 2010 at 1:41 ampermalink