Is there a Leader among us ?

Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, ‘Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?’ And I said, ‘Here am I; send me!’ Isaiah 6:8

As I got on an airplane recently I overheard the man ahead of me tell the stewardess he was on his way to a reunion of those who had fought together in Vietnam. Regardless of how we understand that catastrophe, the reality for these men was and is, they served their country and are proud of their service. During that time millions more accepted the call to serve in the Peace Corp and many other ways. In a time of great pain, it was a time of great service of others.

               Be that as it may, as one looks around church attendance, involvement in Service Clubs, the number of people involved seems to be dropping steadily. One could be justified in asking: “Is there anyone who is selfless enough to step up to the plate and serve the country?” “Is there anyone who is willing to say “Here I am send me?”

             My experience tells me we do not have a shortage of volunteers.Rather, what we are experiencing is the absence of a leader, an individual who can inspire a country to greatness, one whose witness and message can override the negativity of the airways and outline a vision and a challenge to direct the energy of those who want to serve, who do not know where to spend their energy and so their energy is spent on survival in a fast-paced world of negativity. 

             I am not looking at a half-empty glass. Rather I am looking at a glass that is full of people of good intentions; people who are caring and compassionate, people of all ages, religions, denominations, cultural backgrounds. I see people who want to dance and sing and know that all is well, that God is with us in all we do. These individuals are not unlike dots on a page; they are present and waiting for that person who will take the initiative, connect them, and show them to be larger than they imagine themselves to be.

               That leader is among us today. He or she does not as yet know it and so it is upon us to pray for that individual to be like Isaiah and, despite his or her doubts, will let the fire burn their lips, open their mouth and respond “Here I am Lord, send me.”                                      

               Creator God, Great Spirit, send me into the world in peace to love and serve you wherever and how best I can with my gifts and talents. I pray for that individual who will one day lead us again to greatness in service. May the Holy Spirit continue to enkindle in us a fire for service and for that quality of leadership necessary to lead. Amen.