About fifteen years ago, I was attending our company’s annual leadership gatherings along with 300 corporate managers. The keynote speaker was the new CEO. The company had just experience the effects of being bought by another corporations and its effects: cultural shifts, departmental outsourcing and reduction of employee benefits, etc. He was speaking of his “new” vision for the company. Toward the end of his talk he voiced how valuable the employees are to him, the corporate leadership, and to the success of the company. After his speech, he opens the floor inviting questions and comments.
I am sitting all the way in the back of the auditorium and after a few typical inquiries about the stock price, and what were his thoughts about the future of the industry, I raise my hand and offer my comment, “ I believe you when I hear you say that the well-being of the employees are of great concern from corporate leadership but to be honest I have not heard any of my coworkers say that they feel that corporate headquarters cares much about them. In fact it feels quite the opposite.” I was simply being open and honest. He could have responded to my comment as a personal challenge but to his credit, he acknowledged the value of my comment and said that it is something that he knows that he will have to prove. He did not respond with indignation and seemed to appreciate an honest comment from a subordinate. That day he earned my respect.
After a few more questions, the session ended. I headed to the restroom and was followed by two vice presidents who I knew very well. They said to me, “I can’t believe you had the courage to say what you said.”
What they said surprised me. The CEO opened the floor and asked for questions and comments. All I did was take him at his word and respond. Nothing more, nothing less. The comment by those two VP’s revealed their own fears and astonishment of someone speaking honestly to authority. Granted, I was only speaking for myself, but these two VP’s were responsible for a thousand employees under them. They had a much higher obligation to speak openly and honestly to authority at whatever consequence, not only for themselves, but for many others.
I am not suggesting it is always good to say everything and anything on our minds. There is prudence involved especially when there is potential to harm someone. But to fail to challenge our fears when we hide our “true” selves from others is seldom healthy.
For me, it boils down to a fundamental question, Do I prefer knowing (or not knowing) what someone else thinks? Knowing truth is not always easy, but it is easier than living in falsity and fantasy. I do not prefer living life with my head in the sand thinking I can avoid being hurt. Someone else’s words can only endanger my well being, if I allow it. I would rather know the reality of a person, than not knowing. I would rather people know the reality of who I am, than not. Otherwise, there cannot exist an honest and respectful relationship between two people.
Harm due to a lack of personal honesty between people is magnified within organizations of people. Failure to be open and honest between people(s) forms a culture of division and fear, dysfunction, and ultimately corruption that leads to forms of abuse.
Whatever a secular corporate organization may say about how it values its employees, its actions will betray the truth. They exist to make a dollar, and the dollar is above any employee’s worth. The culture is beholden to the dollar and its systemic systems of controlling and forcing obedience will serve its ends even at the expense of its employees.
When our employer fail us – we can just leave. This is not so much the case to our Christian faith. If we claim to be an authentic Christian, the Body of Christ, our mission, leadership, and obligation to holding each other accountable is clear.
Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” Matt 28:18-20 (ESV)
The Church’s mission is clear. I’ll share a related experience in regards to our obligation to obedience:
A couple of years into ministerial formation, our mentors communicated their frustration by what they called our “grumblings.” Instead of a soulful inquiry to identify the source of our “grumblings” we were asked to write a reflection on the following questions:
- Does obedience come easily for you, or is it a struggle?
- To whom would you say you are obedient, and how?
After everyone turned in their assignments, they selected one candidate’s reflection to be read back to the whole group. It spoke of his struggle with (human) authority.
Below is an excerpt from my reflection:
[Coincidently, I am reading a book titled, A New Friendship, The Spirituality and Ministry of the Deacon, by Msgr. Edward Buelt. It offers clarity regarding obedience in diaconate service. He states, with his “Present” the deacon-candidate affirms three things.
- First he professes that he willingly offers his heart in love for the One speaking.
- Second, he promises to offer willingly his obedience, his careful hearing, to the Logos and to the Word that has redeemed and sanctified him and now calls him to the diaconate.
- Third, he testifies that he is willing to give his life so that Christ, the Suffering Servant, whose icon he will become, may conform him to himself.
St. John Paul II’s wrote,“When a person is touched by the Word, …obedience is born, that is listening, which changes life” (Orientale lumen 10).]
It is important to note that the Latin etymology for “obedience” means “to hear or listen towards.” This is not typically what most people believe obedience to mean. We also find this aspect early in the Hebrew Old Testament for our act of obedience to God in the “Shema.” (Det 6:4)
Certainly, there is a necessary obedience to hierarchy. Without it there is chaos in the Church but our first and highest obedience is to the Word. Many of us have lost sight of this and more so, the clergy. It is to the “Word” that we have to hold each other accountable. Church leaders do not get a free pass. If there be any doubt, just consider the religious leaders of Jesus time and how they treated him, and how he responded to their corruption.
Romans 1:5 speaks of “obedience of faith.” As Christians, this obligation transcends authority of any man. It is this obedience that exercises our true goodness and fullness in this life – allowing each of us a foretaste in divine life.
To live this form of obedience is to honor God, oneself and others. If it takes courage to be open and honest so be it. But it is such a simple thing. If we truly believe in the gospel we will recognize our own self worth and live with the conviction of our Savior “and behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
I have come across both clergy and laity who acted as though they had the responsibility to protect Jesus and His Church. By their arrogance they have it backwards. Jesus does not need me, or anyone else, to protect Him. I need him to protect me and that is exactly why He was sent and why I am Christian.
The featured image is a simple image created while experimenting with alcohol inks.
I truly get the point. Thank you for the your thoughts. It helped me