Leadership Model Mirrored in the Life of John the Baptists: August 2, 2025

Leadership Model. The world we live in is more complicated that it appears on the surface. When we continue to look at it from the side where we face, then the side near the heat would always burn. We need to turn the corn around so that life does not burn.

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Leadership Model Mirrored in the Life of John the Baptists

The message of the beheading of John the Baptist captures the trauma many of those in Church leadership go through. To be a leader these day and age entails being ready to be beheaded. I have to be ready to see my head on the tray like John as a missionary. We need to see ourselves as John the Baptists not just in terms of preaching, but the readiness to be martyred because we spoke the truth to those in authority.

How Could those in Leadership be beheaded?

My father once brought some heads of corn and we put them by the side of the charcoal to roast. He went inside the house and asked me to look after it. I was enjoying the popping sound the corn made. Unfortunately, I never realized that I was supposed to be turning it for the corn to evenly roast. My dad was furious when he came out. The side of the corn facing me was uncooked, while the side facing the burning charcoal was burnt black.

The world we live in is more complicated that it appears on the surface. When we continue to look at it from the side where we face, then the side near the heat would always burn. We need to turn the corn around so that life does not burn.

My experience of leadership as a call that entails great sacrifices because we have to be by the side of the fire. We watch, endure the heat and then learn to turn the corn at the appropriate time for a seamless roasted corn.

Ready to be Misunderstood and Gossiped

Many times as leaders, you are judged and condemned by those you are doing everything possible to serve and protect their interest. Many around us would laugh, joke, and play in our presence, but when not there, the story changes. Sometimes, as I am passing by the brothers, they would be joking until I actually show up, there would be silence. Suddenly, the topic would change to soccer. “Who scored the goal in yesterday’s Chelsea and Man United match?”

Judged, and Condemned

How many times is our integrity questioned and our judgement under scrutiny? How come that the brothers took vows of obedience, but when you sometimes transfer them, the next question would be, “why? You don’t like me?” “My level is to be in this parish in the city and not rural area.” They want to remain forever in the juicy position they were and never to have any other experience.

The Value of Sacrifice

One fact about being in leadership is the readiness to make sacrifices. The general saying is that uneasy lies the head that wears the crown. Unfortunately, like John the Baptist, be ready to have your head chopped off by those you came to sacrifice for. Sometimes we are crushed, maligned, accused and even betrayed. We are making every sacrifice for the growth of the order but sometimes others see it as enjoyment.

Recently I informed someone that I travelled to Poland for the General chapter. “You are enjoying oh. I want to be like you.” How is meeting from morning until evening enjoyment? Thanks brothers for your sacrifices. I never realized that this is what you go through all these while. How is carrying the burden and problems of everyone else enjoyment?

There are so many times that being in leadership, brothers could say anything to you that ordinarily, you would react and fight back. However, because of the office, you endure it and just let go.

The Challenge of Loneliness

Isolation and loneliness is one of the experiences of those in leadership. We are separated from our friends and those you care about because they feel that it is their responsibility to protect us. Sometimes, they will no longer be as free as they were with us before we took office.

The Cost of Speaking the Truth

It is not always easy for us to see that in our call as Christians, we are being beheaded daily. However, the martyrdom is more when we are at the helm of affairs of the province and have to make decisions. How many times are we cautious by not offending those we are preaching to. We know the consequences that the Sunday collections would drop. So we settle for safe and fancy homilies every Sunday, “Jesus loves you.” “Love your neighbor as yourself.”

Conclusion

In our call as Church leaders, we are invited to look after others. But I thought to myself, “Who looks after us?” It is important that we cherish the sacrifices we make but not take for granted the life we are given that we are important too. Like the corn I was asked to look after, life is mysterious and we are called to a constant discernment. The world we live in is changing and we cannot continue to look at it from one place. The earlier we turn the corn around and consider other sides, the more that our come would not burnt at the other side.

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