What America Really Needs

It has been a long time since I have written a blog; however, the time has come for me to begin blogging, especially in view of what is happening in the United States today. I grew up a Democrat, mainly because my father was a Democrat. He made that decision because everyone in his family was a Republican and he enjoyed arguing with his mother and his siblings. After the presidency of Jimmy Carter, I have leaned toward the Republicans because basically I am a conservative, especially in my religious beliefs.

Today, I am sick of both Democrats and Republicans. I see no signs of leadership, only endeavors to increase the power and wealth
of political leaders. I am tired of phone calls soliciting money for groups allegedly trying to gain power or stay in power. There is rarely a thought and creating real leadership, because of what apparently is believed about leadership.

Many years ago, Robert Greenleaf wrote a book of Servant-Leadership. This idea, of course, had its beginning during the time of the greatest leader of all, Jesus. In Greenleaf's book he refers to Hermann Hesse's "Journey to the East," where we see a band of men on a mythical journey. The central figure of the story is Leo, who accompanies the party as the servant who does their menial chores, but who also sustains them with his spirit and his song. He is a person of extraordinary presence. All goes well until Leo disappears. The journey is then abandoned. They cannot make it without the servant, Leo. One of the party, after much wandering, is taken into the Order that had sponsored the journey and there discovers that Leo, who had been the servant, was in reality the titular head of the Order. Leo was the Order's guiding spirit, a great and noble leader.

What America really needs is Servant-Leadership. Notice that serving come before leading. I don't want political leaders, I want serving leaders who really care for our country. How about organizing, not a political party, but an organization that directs the United States of America by serving and leading! In time, would we not find our way out of the current mess? I believe we would.