Keri's stuff :-)

Follow the leader

I’ve been thinking about leading and following, and how that all works.  This is how I think about it.  Imagine you are in a hot air baloon (or a helicopter, or a microlite, or are just able to fly, whatever - it's your imagination!) and are looking down on three people.  The first person is moving due north in a straight line.  The second person is following the first one, but started a little to the left, so moves north-east as they follow.  The third person is following the second, but starts below and to their right, so moves north-west as they follow.  I've drawn a pretty picture to make it easier (left and right were never my strong point!).

After a little while, as each one continues to follow the one in front, all will end up in a straight line moving north.  At this time, the one in the middle turns into a pumpkin (or James Bond, or finds a cloak of invisibility - again, it's your imagination) and disappears.  Looking down on the remaining two, it would now seem that the third one is following the first one.  By the second person following the first, the initial direction of the third person has now lined up to be following the first - just like getting the kinks out of a chain by pulling it along the ground.  Fine.  So what....?

Now, (if your imagination has not run out) there are two further scenarios to be considered.  What happens if the second person doesn't follow the first?  Clearly, the third will not end up following the first either.  Secondly, what happens if the second one stops moving all together?  This is a little bit more tricky, but what happens is this.  As soon as the second one stops moving, the third one ceases to move in the direction of the first, and moves only towards the second one.  Sooner or later they will bump into each other, and neither will be closer to the first one.  Right.  So what...?

If you want to lead people, where do you want to lead them to?  Eventually, they will end up following what you are following – and if it’s a good thing that you are following, your best bet for getting them there too is to continue to follow that good thing yourself.  As soon as you stop pursuing that good thing, they begin to follow you, and cease to see beyond to the good thing themselves.  Paul told his buddies, “Follow me as I follow Christ.”  You have to be moving to lead.  You have to be following something better to lead.  So keep going, keep moving, keep leading, and keep following.  Keep encouraging those behind you, and supporting those ahead, and one day we’ll all figure it out.  Just a thought :-) K

• Posted by flyingkiwi on 22/05/2007.
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