Leading or Following?

July 7, 2013

How does one do right when the rest of their world is telling them to do wrong? How does one become a leader in a sea of followers? Is leadership a born gift? Are good morals learned and acquired over time or are they innate from within?

 I have been thinking about these questions this week as we (the sisters and volunteers) have begun our winter sports camp. The first day of camp, all of us volunteers were surprised to see a set of young boys and a set of young girls, about 13 or 14 years old, who had arrived early at the community center, rallied up the children and began organizing the games and sports. The way the younger children listen to these leaders was shocking. When these leaders spoke the kids listened. The kids waited so patiently for the leaders to give directions and group everyone up. This sounds like no big deal, right? Well, to me, it is a big deal. The norm for teenagers in this area is not leading a sports camp for kids during their time off of school. Their norm is mischief and things that will lead to trouble. I was in awe of the teenage leaders because they didn’t care whether they were with their friends doing God knows what around town, they were playing with children. I know the younger children look up to them. I am thankful for those young leaders as they will be the ones to make a difference in their community and country someday.

There is one more boy or man I should say, who has come from the community to work at the sports camp with us. He is 26 and used to be a grade 2 teacher and a skills teacher at the school as well as a teacher of the faith at church every Sunday. He had also been a camp leader for the past 6 years. When he showed up Sister Margaret about started to cry. She was so happy to see this guy. She said, “I prayed this morning that he would show up.”  She prayed this because he missed last year’s camp. His brother is part of a gang and is a notorious drugie in the community. After years of being part of the community, teaching children and the faith, he got caught into his brothers net and started doing drugs. He basically fell off the face of the earth for about a year. The sisters put him in their house (my house now) to help him quit and to keep him away from the drugs and his brother. After a year battle, he is off drugs and showed to our camp this week. This is why Sister was so happy to see him.

He called all the volunteers and teen leaders together and held a meeting. He led our conversation about ways to meet the needs of these children, games to play and other organizational topics. He initiated a prayer at the beginning and end. Soon after he begins playing with the kids and organizing the games and sports outside and inside the community center. He was delegating tasks to us and leading our group as if it was his paid job. The interactions he had with us and the children were the best part of all. He had the most easy, gentle way of interacting with everyone he talks to. He engages with the children and he can get them to listen to him, effortlessly. All of the other volunteers and I were thinking, “Who is this shabby looking guy who came out of the woodworks to singlehandedly run the sports camp?” Then we heard his story. His story about begin a leader in the community and then falling into a spell of drugs. That is what has me thinking about leadership and morals. How hard must it have been for him to deny his brother for so many years? How hard must it have been for him to not do what was cool and do what is good? It must have been very tough because when the world around you is telling you and pressuring you in the wrong direction; it’s no cake walk to get around it. I admire this guy’s courage. I admire his born leadership skills to step up and set an example for other guys within the community.