Wednesday in the Second Week of Lent

Does one assume leadership, ascend to it, or live one's way into it?  Are our most effective leaders the ones who, like sons of Zebedee, think thay can assume positions of prominence simply by asking but not by acting.  Is leadership defined by power, titles and chalices or by thoughts, words and deeds?

In my experience, the most effective leaders are those who use their gifts and talents in service to others.  They empower the individuals they lead rather than exert power over them.  The very best have stood for and with others in humble and sincere solidarity.  And sometimes, those are the same leaders who, as the case of Jeremiah are "repaid with
  evil."  Sometimes those leaders find, in the words of a dear friend, that "no good deed goes unpunished."

So, why bother?  I believe it is because those leaders are our light.  They are the light to which others turn and in turn, become the light of the world.

As members of the Holy Cross community, we each have an obligation to stand with those who do not have a voice.  If not us, then who?  Whether we find ourselves behind a podium with a microphone or getting our hands dirty in the trenches, how can we use our unique gifts, talents and passions in service to our worlds and those who need it the most?  How can I be a light?