Real Leadership
Dan Kunz
On February 24, 2022, the world watched as Russia invaded its neighboring country, Ukraine. What was feared for months, was now a reality. The world has watched with horror as Vladimir Putin has slowly tried to squeeze the life out of Ukraine. As we in America debate what can or can’t be done to help the people of Ukraine, leaders throughout the world exhibit all manner of leadership skills, or lack thereof.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the Ukrainian president, is being hailed by most people of the world as an amazing leader. He loves his people and his country. He has shown courage beyond the realm of most expectations. He is selfless in the face of overwhelming odds. An example of that was the conversation he had with our own president, Joe Biden. When asked if he would like American help to leave the capital city of Kiev, he replied, “Mr. President, I need ammunition, not a ride.” Over the years, we’ve seen many leaders fill suitcases with money and flee their country at the first sign of trouble – a poor excuse for leadership.
It's not surprising that the Ukrainian people love their leader. He shows all the characteristics of a great leader, including one that just came to light a few days ago. Before the war started, while the Russians were amassing troops on the eastern border of Ukraine, President Zelenskyy visited his troops in that region. He went there to boost their spirits and to encourage them. That wasn’t all, though. While he was there, he ate with them. He slept in the same barracks. He wore the same army fatigues. In short, he became one of them, even though he didn’t have a military background. He was actually an entertainer before becoming a president. (Not unlike Ronald Reagan, one of our own presidents.) That idea of becoming one of them, is what real leadership looks like. Some of our most noteworthy American presidents have had that “one of us” characteristic.
For you and I, as Christians, we can’t overlook the best example of real leadership that the world has ever seen – our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Among all the positive attributes of a leader we could ascribe to Jesus, the one which may mean the most to us in our daily lives, is that he became one of us! Hebrews 2:14 Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might break the power of him who holds the power of death – that is, the devil – . As we know through the pages of the New Testament, Jesus became fully human. He went through the process of a human birth (in a stable, no less). He grew through boyhood into manhood. He ate. He slept. He got tired. He wept. He loved. He was tempted. He suffered. He died. President Zelenskyy could have left Ukraine days or even months ago. Jesus never even had to come to earth! He could have turned down the world’s “dirtiest job”!
Thankfully, he chose to carry out the Father’s plan. Without it, we would still be lost in our terminal condition – damned. Why would anybody do that? Because of another characteristic of real leaders – love for their people. Jesus couldn’t bear the thought of being separated from you and me for eternity. Even though it meant becoming a lowly human being, suffering, and dying, he loved us that much, to take our place.
Please pray for the people of Ukraine. Pray for their heroic leader. Pray for the courageous men and women who are willing to die for their freedom. Pray for the spiritual well-being of everyone involved. Last, but certainly not least, thank Jesus for being a real leader of his people!