8 minute read
Charge to the Graduates: “Leading the Dance”
By President José R. Irizarry
One of the of the first lessons you will grasp as new leaders is that long-standing traditions will set the agenda for most of your work. The leader must consciously decide which traditions can benefit from a renewing touch, which ones are worth preserving as they are for their enduring value, and which ones should be tenderly packed in small memory cases and ceremoniously archived so that you can forge new directions. And yes, let’s not be fooled, long-standing traditions do not disappear, for at the precise moment someone decides things are not going as expected, a judging hand may reach out into those cases of memory to remind you of times when things were done “the right way.”
Just a couple of weeks ago I learned that Austin Seminary’s tradition was for the president to give the charges to the graduates during the commencement ceremony. And I must confess that, initially, I hesitated. The reason I paused to interrogate this expectation was not that I lacked the interest to address you during this significant ceremony or that I found my well of practical wisdom drained, but because in a very concrete way, I recognize that we are standing on leveled ground as leaders of the church. After all, this is our first Austin Seminary graduation. I am as excited as you are about entering this new phase of ministry, thinking about the possibilities of what is to come next, knowing that what I have learned here among you and with you will impact the church, our Christian witness, and God’s mission in the world. So in sharing my charge to you this afternoon I feel less presidential and more valedictory speaker, a peer learner who cheers you up with encouraging words because these are the words I also need as one who joins you in yet another attempt to make a difference in the places where God has called us to be.
I share my exhortations as a colleague in this vocational journey who knows first-hand how hard you worked for your degree, the personal and familial sacrifices being made to balance study and work and church commitments, and one who knows, as well as you do, how to get a free meal by attending every single lecture or event on campus. I am aware that such perseverance and ingenuity has prepared you to engage ministry in a world where those skills are of the essence in building ministerial and pastoral character. Whether you are a seasoned minister receiving a doctoral degree today, or a novice entering the ranks of ministry after receiving a master’s degree, or just a faithful servant who continues to discern a vocational path, we all share a common accountability for an unprecedented religious, cultural, and social reality—what many have termed a post-pandemic world.
And if we claim to be fully accountable, it will be difficult to accept that the leadership models, and even the theological perspectives, that promoted and facilitated our Christian witness in the world decades ago, are equally effective to address the challenges of our time: one of uncertainty marked by public dissention, the loss of community, the normalization of prejudices, and an unconcealed disregard for nature, among other matters that exacerbate our collective anxieties.
But as a peer, I have watched you closely, I have seen the passion with which you engage the probing of this reality—in the classroom, while having table conversations at Stotts, or in hushed conversations at some corner of the Wright Learning and Information Center. I have seen you looking for the next opportunity to take to the streets or the state Capitol to voice your concerns and dreams in the face of injustice. I have seen you appreciate the ways in which your thoughts and beliefs have been reframed by some kernel of wisdom shared in class by a professor. I have seen you caring for the wellbeing of the community, raising your hand to serve when the occasion called for it, and seeking to build more character so that you can act with authenticity. That is the reason I can say with confidence that while the world has become a complex web of uncertainties, you have been adequately equipped to minister in it. You got this!
What is needed is the ability to re-frame all those passions and skills within a model of leadership that refuses to place such a healthy, smart, and passionate ego at the center of decisions that rightfully belong to a whole community. Post-pandemic times necessitate post-heroic leadership. The quality of your leadership ought to be measured not by what you achieve as an individual, but by the knowledge you can add to communal discernment by careful observation and methodical analysis, by how you explore solutions with others, and by your ability to be fluid enough to recognize when to follow.
Years ago, philosopher Derek Sivers delivered a brief but impactful TED Talk on “How to Start a Movement.” He utilized some video footage of young people attending an outdoor concert. As the video starts you see a lone individual standing up and dancing to the beats of what I assume was rock music since no sound accompanies the video. The guy was, to say it kindly, not gifted with bodily grace. His movements were awkward and uncoordinated, but there is no denial the body was expressive of exuberant joy. In the mind of the sole dancer this was his moment, he took the risk, he saw no need to be accepted, he was not afraid to be embarrassed before the eyes of dozens of observers who were certainly judging his skills. Yet something changed the predicament of the lone dancer. Another individual stood up and joined him, trying to mimic the steps. This first follower gave implicit permission to observers to join in, and suddenly those who were apprehensive at first understood this as an open invitation to collective joy. Suddenly the two became four, then ten, until dozens entered the dance.
We are facing a social media world where leadership and expertise are claimed by many individuals. You may find yourself in situations where your leadership will be challenged, and you will not be the one in a position to make final decisions. The message of the story is simple, do not underestimate the potential to effect change, not as the lone positional leader, but as the one who takes the risk to be the first follower.
We need to be reminded that Christian leadership cannot be disconnected from discipleship. What we do as Christian leaders is always an act of following, and we follow one whose steps and moves make the social structures and cultural powers of this time uneasy. They are most fearful of this dance of God’s Kingdom and the inherent risk that others may join in.
Therefore, be observant to the movements of the Spirit, and do not dwell in the somber corners of disparagement if you are not ready to join those movements. Analyze reality in a measured way so that you can point people to places where joy and exuberance and wonder are still possibilities in this world, for I am sure you have experienced those moments. Risk to be the first one to follow the voice of the Spirit and to join God’s dance however inconceivable it may look, for today more than ever, the message of the cross may seem like foolishness.
Be the first follower, so that others can join you even if they don’t understand the motives and rhythm of the “first mover,” as Aquinas refered to the divine. And always recognize that many who will join you will not be in sync with your moves, they will bump into you and clash with others more times than you wish or can tolerate. It is then when following Christ means rescuing the most neglected value in today’s cultural expressions of Christianity, the unconditional and unreserved love of the neighbor. To use the words author John Pavlovitz articulated with the poetic beauty of a mystic, “If the God you follow is Love, don’t be a jerk!”
May the One you have decided to follow continue to equip you and bless you for the work ahead. The heart of a new creation is beating loudly. Can you hear it? Then stand up, be the first follower, and join the dance.
