Word to the Wise
Monday, August 3, 2009 - Monday in the Eighteenth Week in Ordinary Time
[Numbers 11:4B-15 and Matthew 14:13-21]I cannot carry all this people by myself, for they are too heavy for me. If this is the way you will deal with me, then please do me the favor of killing me at once, so that I need no longer face this distress.
I often refer to this passage from the Book of Numbers in retreats with clergy! At one time or another, every bishop or pastor is going to feel like Moses! The complaints about this or that can be overwhelming. The incident that gives rise to Moses' lament is that the Children of Israel are now tired of eating manna!!!! (A wise old Dominican once told me that if the brethren can't find anything else to complain about, they'll complain about the food!) Of course, Moses is partially to blame. It does not appear to him to have delegated any of his job to others! In fact this problem of his shows up a couple of times. On the other occasion, his father-in-law shows common sense and tells Moses to delegate some of the "conflict resolution" to others and to deal only with the most important or dangerous cases! On today's occasion, however, Moses sits on the "leadership pity-pot" and complains to God about how hard the job is, why did God ask him to do this, why not just kill me and get it over with, etc. etc. Oh, yes! Anyone in leadership (and I've had my share of it) feels this way from time to time. God's response is basically, "OK! I'll appoint some assistants! Now get over it!" Of course, God also sends an alternative diet: quail! The Children of Israel are forced to eat quail till it comes out their ears! The Old Testament provides plenty of food for thought for any leader or prophet! Perhaps the "moral" of today's story is summed up in that adage about trying to please all of the people all of the time! I think it also reminds leaders that they don't have to do it all and that delegation is something God has approved of for centuries! AMEN
config
view
logs
4096.0 KB
80 ms
4
