Don't Finish Well
No doubt, many of you have already heard or said the oft-repeated phrase ‘finish well’. It is a phrase that gets reiterated often at this time of year.
Last year’s Towel & Basin section of the Edvance Notice did a deep dive on John 13 and the powerful image of Jesus washing his disciples’ feet. The striking imagery is of the greatest leader the world has ever known giving us one of his most powerful lessons in leadership by lowering himself to the status of a slave and eventually actually dying the death of a criminal. This picture of leadership is often hard for our modern, western notions of leadership to appropriate in practical ways.
Looking again at John 13, Johannine biblical scholar David Ford notes, “perhaps the richest theological words in John are ‘as…so…”. These two words appear throughout the gospel of John in the context of Jesus inviting others to take what He has done (ie. ‘as I have done’) and ‘improvising’ further (ie. ‘so you are invited to do’). In John 13:15 for example, we read Jesus’ invitation following his washing of the disciples’ feet where he says, ‘I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you.’ Ford notes here that the word ‘example’, “does not imply exact repetition, but rather suggests the possibility of continual variations, in innumerable other situations, in the spirit of what Jesus has done.”
This leaves modern Christian leaders with the question: ‘How can I authentically improvise based on Jesus’ example?’
I will offer three very brief thoughts on improvising based on Jesus’ foot-washing:
In the end, John’s gospel invites us to ‘improvise’, not according to our own rules, but according to the challenging and inspiring life of Christ. As I read the stories of Jesus, I am both strangely comforted and also unsettled at the same time. I can see more clearly all the time the ways that my life is oriented towards ‘my will’ and not ‘your will be done’. My encouragement to you as a Christian school leader, who is leading in the most complex environment ever, is to daily remember to pull out your Towel & Basin. That is where true leadership begins.
God’s blessings as you launch into this new school year!
Tim Bentum is the Director of Leadership and External Relations at Edvance.
Photo Credit: basin, by Flood G., Flickr