Today's Meditation
Read Deuteronomy 1:9-18
9At that time I said to you, “I am unable by myself to bear you. 10The Lord your God has multiplied you, so that today you are as numerous as the stars of heaven. 11May the Lord, the God of your ancestors, increase you a thousand times more and bless you, as he has promised you! 12But how can I bear the heavy burden of your disputes all by myself? 13Choose for each of your tribes individuals who are wise, discerning, and reputable to be your leaders.” 14You answered me, “The plan you have proposed is a good one.” 15So I took the leaders of your tribes, wise and reputable individuals, and installed them as leaders over you, commanders of thousands, commanders of hundreds, commanders of fifties, commanders of tens, and officials, throughout your tribes. 16I charged your judges at that time: “Give the members of your community a fair hearing, and judge rightly between one person and another, whether citizen or resident alien. 17You must not be partial in judging: hear out the small and the great alike; you shall not be intimidated by anyone, for the judgment is God’s. Any case that is too hard for you, bring to me, and I will hear it.” 18So I charged you at that time with all the things that you should do.
Today's scripture reading departs from the comforting or sometimes challenging words that we've heard over the last few months from the Psalms, from the Gospels, and from the letters to the first churches. Today's scripture reading from the Old Testament has to do with leadership after Moses led his people from bondage out of Egypt.
God's people had grown numerous as they wandered in the desert. Moses could no longer be the same leader as he had once been to them. At the time, they needed a strong figurehead. The people of Israel needed someone to simply show them the way to go, show them how to escape Egypt, away from their bondage as slaves. In the years since leaving Egypt they had grown; not only in numbers but also as their own people, as a community with all the pitfalls and benefits that come with that. There were squabbles and disagreements among them. They had city and national plans to enact. Moses could no longer do it all. He could not be their leader alone. So, he took people who had shown leadership skills, who were wise, discerning and reputable and he made them leaders among the people. It was this group that continued to lead Israel into the future.
Throughout history, a singular leader sometimes emerges out of crisis, someone in whom the people can look to for guidance and direction, like Moses. But most of history is led and directed by the many, with a purpose, who have leadership skills.
It takes a whole group of people to do this, not just one person. For the rest of this week pray for leaders in your church, pray for leaders on the local school boards, pray for leaders in your community, pray for leaders in local, state, and national government, pray for leaders around the world. We need people with their leadership skills who are wise, discerning, reputable to lead us with "energy, intelligence, imagination, and love*" into the future that might look strangely different than our past. Pray for them.
*These are part of the vows that Presbyterians take when they enter into leadership positions.
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