the chosen one

I heard the other day that one of the reasons white Christians overlook the moral missteps of our President is because they believe he is “The Chosen One.” According to them, he is a larger part of God’s plan to save us from evil. It does not matter that he may not have faith or morals or compassion.

I am so very inexplicably confused.

I realize that God has used imperfect leaders in the past to bring about good (see King David and other Old Testament kings) but I take issue with holding that view today.

These Kings from the Old Testament led to the need for something greater, for a single Chosen One, and God sent him to us over 2000 years ago. Jesus came to break the cycle presented by these Old Testament leaders, turning leadership from a position of ultimate power to a position rooted in service. He showed us that there is no longer a single Chosen One, but a plural Chosen We. This Kingdom of God is only possible if we work together.

When Jesus died on the cross, he handed the responsibility of leadership over to every person who listens to his voice. No longer do we get to claim ignorance or that we were just following directions. Our directions are clear. Love God. Love One Another. All else will fall into place.

Because he knew we would need a little help knowing how to properly lead, Jesus graciously modeled that for us. A servant leader listens. A servant leader notices whose voice is not being heard and invites them to dine at their table. A servant leader reaches out to those in need and discovers how they can work together to fix some of our most basic human problems: food, shelter, safety, community.

Jesus spoke often of what life would be like in the Kingdom of God, revealing a Kingdom as one of inclusion, hospitality, and absolute love. The only way for us to get there is to support and to be leaders who are willing to listen and care emphatically for the people they serve.

This is what Jesus would do.

Photo by Hudson Hintze on Unsplash