(Okay, this post is an interesting exercise in trying to be coherent while feverish. Must remember not to write about the flying purple monkeys.)
Lately I've been thinking about a former pastor "Xavier" I knew. He was a gifted communicator who had a passion for helping people know God. I still remember some of the very practical suggestions he made for how to communicate the gospel to the world. I remember him sharing about trying to decide whether or not to make his teachings available, and appreciating his hesitation between not putting himself forward and his desire to make God's message available.
A couple years later, he was removed from the pastorate by his church for adultery with another church member.
There's something in Xavier's story that captures both the best and worst about influence. I find influencing people one of the coolest - and scariest - aspects of community. In its best form, we use influence to teach wisdom, give strength, and motivate toward better choices. At its worst, our influence desensitizes others, encourages others to mimic our wrong doing, and warps people's views of reality. Mother Teresa vs. David Koresh.
Despite its risks, I believe mentorship is fundamentally important in life. While trial by error has its benefits, it is a remarkable slow and ineffective method. I've particularly been thinking about mentorship in connection to knowing God better. Many of these thoughts directly revolve a tendency I've seen - and done frequently myself: To put someone on a pedestal and be unable to see their struggles. I think it is pretty easy (for me, at least)to idolize those I see as more spiritual. It's also easy to dismiss those who I see as less spiritual without considering if they see a truth I'm missing. Here's some of my musings:
- Which beliefs am I qualified to pass on to others? Does great strength of conviction equal the right to pass the belief on?
- How do I avoid passing on my own weaknesses to others? How do I learn to see the weaknesses in my mentors' lives?
- How do I encourage others to not idolize other Christians generating a church gossip mill? How do I encourage others not to idolize me?
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1 comment:
Al, now I understand why you never wear a hawaiian shirt: you are trying to avoid having others idolize you. ;)
I agree that it's generally good to be aware of the struggles/weaknesses of your mentors. It's true that part of this awareness is up to you...but it's also partially up to your mentor (how much he/she decides to reveal).
So given that you're aware of being someone's mentor, should you be more (or less, or at all) willing to admit your struggles and weaknesses to that person?
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