My Favorite Room in the House

My Favorite Room in the House

Theology in the Trenches

By Kathleen Kjolhaug

 

“I love that room. It’s my favorite room in the house.” My husband and I were conversing nonstop for twelve hours. Well, almost nonstop. Between snoozing, eating, stopping for gas, reading a book aloud, and discussing things that had been put on hold, we managed to pass the time productively. Although the chit-chat did not always go both ways…I knew he was listening because every so often, he chimed in for clarification or brought up a new idea or two.

The book we read was by Henri Nouwen, “In the Name of Jesus,” a book on leadership that had been purchased by another. The thoughts of this author I had always admired as a contemplative prayer partner on behalf of this world; he shared many good points. One of his thoughts touched me deeply and it resonated as to why one of our rooms was my favorite room in our house.

“It has no distractions because there is very little in it. There is next to nothing in the closet, a blanket or two in the dresser, a cross on the wall, a bench, and one wooden chair beside the bed. Guests may come and go with little else to think about but a good night’s sleep and His peace. I love it.”

What triggered that thought was this quote. “The Christian leader of the future needs to be radically poor, journeying with nothing except a staff – ‘no bread, no haversack, no money, no spare tunic’ (Mark 6:8). What is good about being poor? Nothing, except that it offers us the possibility of giving leadership by allowing ourselves to be led.”

He goes on to say, “If there is any hope for the church in the future, it will be hope for a poor church in which its leaders are willing to be led.”

He quotes John 21:18. “In all truth I tell you, when you were young you put on your belt and walked where you liked; but when you grow old you will stretch out your hands and somebody else will put a belt around you and take you where you would rather not go.”

H. Nouwen writes, “He mentioned this to Peter after having asked him three times if he loved him. Jesus commissioned him three times to be a shepherd.”

The author states that these words “touch the core of Christian leadership and are spoken to offer us ever and again new ways to let go of power and follow the humble way of Jesus…Jesus had a different vision of maturity:  It is the ability and willingness to be led where you would rather not go. The way of the Christian leader is not the way of upward mobility in which our world has invested so much, but the way…ending in the cross.”

He continues, “… for those who have heard the voice of the first love and said yes to it, the… way of Jesus is the way to the joy and the peace of God, a joy and peace that is not of this world.”

Finally, he noted this. “Here we touch the most important quality of Christian leadership in the future. It is not a leadership of power and control, but a leadership of powerlessness and humility in which the suffering servant of God, Jesus Christ, is made manifest. I am speaking of a leadership in which power is constantly abandoned in favor of love. It is true spiritual leadership. Powerlessness and humility in the spiritual life do not refer to people who have no spine and who let everyone else make decisions for them. They refer to people who are so deeply in love with Jesus that they are ready to follow him wherever he guides them, always trusting that, with him, they will find life and find it abundantly.”  Amen.