Personal

Last week’s presidential debates were immensely entertaining. Even I enjoyed them. And I’m not the most politically involved person around. I feel very passionately about voting and doing my part in shaping society, but I tend to steer clear of the daily goings on of the latest political issues and scandals. The state of our country’s politics frustrates me and I try not to stress myself out even more. But I was riveted to the screen last Sunday.

People’s reactions ranged from the comical (have you seen those memes?) to the serious (I got lost in the dialogue of the political analysts) to the personal. Some were frustrated about the delay; some criticized the debate format and the moderator; some lamented the fact that it got too personal. I for one actually liked the fact that it got personal. Leadership should be personal.

Don’t get me wrong, I do not believe that a leader should put her needs above those of the people she is meant to serve or make choices based on what benefits only herself. But I don’t believe that a leader should keep his emotions and his feelings at bay either. They’re all a part of him. And he cannot divorce himself from his role at the drop of a hat. He can of course rise above them, given some time to reflect and to consider things, and still make good choices. I was strangely comforted to see the presidentiables at turns angry, sarcastic, offended, annoyed, or amused. I would have been very wary if one of them showed no emotion at all. I should hope that they should take things personally. I should hope that they would feel offended if they felt attacked. Leadership is not just about platforms and programs; leadership is very much about personhood.

Good leaders are personal. They know the people they serve. They take the time to listen. Good leaders are emotional – not emotionally imbalanced but I should hope that they have a wide range of emotions that are a part of everyday human life. I would steer clear of a leader who lived in an emotional vacuum. I hope that the president of any country knows what it feels to love, to grieve, to be excited, to be disappointed, to be angry, to be happy. I believe accepting these feelings will help him be more empathetic towards others and make better choices. Good leaders should have some personal stake on their position. I would hate to have a leader who never risked anything of herself to get to where she is.

I often wonder whom Jesus would have voted for and what he would have thought of all this politicking. And then I remember, he knew exactly what it meant. He put himself directly in its wake. To the end he was a victim of this strange, sometimes cruel system of power and authority and public service. He got caught between Pilate and Herod, passed around like a ball. The King of all kings subjected himself to becoming a powerless citizen.

He was subject to the system but was not defeated by it. And in the end, he showed us all that leadership could be perfected. He showed us that one’s faith was very much a part of one’s politics.  He showed us that leaders could be personal without being self-absorbed, emotional without being overwhelmed, self-sacrificing without losing oneself. He shows us that the great and noble tasks always require sacrifice.

It seems like an incredibly difficult standard and a difficult task to lead this country into the uncertain future. And were it left purely to human actions, I would wallow in despair and hopelessness and avoid politics and elections altogether. But the season of Easter reminds us that there is reason to hope. And that the reason is not about a platform or a program, that reason is a Person. And that Person has overcome death itself and has promised to be with us until the end of time. He’s a good enough reason for me.