In the Name of Jesus

1. The Crisis of Modern Christian Leadership

I woke up one day with the realization that I was living in a very dark place and that the term “burnout” was a convenient psychological translation for a spiritual death.

A personal reckoning. Henri Nouwen, after two decades in academia and priesthood, faced a profound spiritual crisis. Despite outward success and critical acclaim, he felt a deep inner threat, realizing his life lacked contemplative prayer, fostered loneliness, and was consumed by urgent, ever-changing issues. This internal struggle led him to question if his aging brought him closer to Jesus or merely to a state of spiritual exhaustion.

The call to L'Arche. In this dark place, Nouwen received a clear call from God, through Jean Vanier, to "Go and live among the poor in spirit, and they will heal you." This meant leaving the intellectual elite of Harvard for a community of mentally handicapped people. This radical shift was not an easy solution but a challenging journey into a hidden life, where his previous accomplishments held no sway, forcing him to confront his true self.

New words for leadership. His experiences at L'Arche, living with individuals whose broken minds and bodies demanded a strict routine and simple presence, began to reshape his understanding of Christian leadership. These encounters provided him with new insights into the challenges faced by ministers, prompting him to re-evaluate the traditional notions of relevance, popularity, and power in ministry, guided by the temptations of Jesus and the call to Peter.

2. From Worldly Relevance to Vulnerable Self

I am deeply convinced that the Christian leader of the future is called to be completely irrelevant and to stand in this world with nothing to offer but his or her own vulnerable self.

Irrelevance as vocation. Nouwen's move to L'Arche stripped him of his academic and professional "relevance." His books, degrees, and ecumenical experience meant nothing to the mentally handicapped residents, who responded only to his naked self. This forced him to let go of his "relevant self"—the self that performs and achieves—and reclaim his vulnerable, unadorned self, open to love regardless of accomplishments.

Jesus' first temptation. This experience mirrored Jesus' first temptation: to turn stones into bread, to prove his power through relevant, impactful actions. While the world demands competence and tangible results, Jesus rejected this, proclaiming that "One does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God." Christian leaders are called to proclaim God's unconditional love, not to solve all practical problems with worldly efficiency.

Beyond secular solutions. In a secularized world, Christian leaders often feel marginal, their efforts seemingly fruitless compared to psychologists or politicians. Yet, beneath society's accomplishments lies deep despair, loneliness, and a profound moral and spiritual handicap. The future leader embraces this "irrelevance" as a divine vocation, entering solidarity with this anguish to bring the light of Jesus, offering not competence, but the healing presence of love.

3. Anchor in God's Unconditional First Love

The question is not: How many people take you seriously? How much are you going to accomplish? Can you show some results? But: Are you in love with Jesus?

The core question. Before commissioning Peter, Jesus repeatedly asked, "Do you love me?" This question is central to Christian ministry, allowing leaders to be both irrelevant in worldly terms and truly self-confident. It shifts the focus from external validation and measurable success to an internal, intimate relationship with Jesus, the incarnate God.

Knowing God's heart. In a world of loneliness, there's an immense need for leaders who know God's heart—a heart of unconditional love, forgiveness, and healing, devoid of suspicion or resentment. This "first love," as John describes it, is shadow-free and unlimited, unlike the often-broken and conditional "second love" we receive from human relationships. Jesus' heart is the incarnation of this pure, first love.

Healing through love. Knowing and loving Jesus means living with the knowledge that "You are loved. There is no reason to be afraid." This radical good news, when truly embodied, naturally brings healing, reconciliation, and hope. The desire for worldly relevance and success fades, replaced by the singular desire to proclaim God's unconditional love to all, rooted in the secure knowledge of being loved first.

4. The Discipline of Contemplative Prayer

A mystic is a person whose identity is deeply rooted in God’s first love.

Rooted in God's presence. To live a life anchored in God's first love, free from the desire for relevance, Christian leaders must become mystics. This requires the discipline of contemplative prayer, a constant dwelling in the presence of the One who asks, "Do you love me?" This practice prevents leaders from being pulled by urgent issues, becoming strangers to their own hearts and God's.

Beyond moral debates. Contemplative prayer keeps leaders "home," rooted and safe, deepening the knowledge of their inherent freedom and belonging to God, even amidst chaos. It moves Christian leadership from primarily moral debates—often resembling political battles for power—to a mystical foundation. Debates on issues like ordination or sexuality, when rooted in God's first love, transform from battles of right or wrong into spiritual searches for truth.

Wisdom and courage. The future of Christian leadership demands men and women of God, with an ardent desire to dwell in God's presence, listen to His voice, and taste His goodness. Through contemplative prayer, leaders learn to listen to the voice of love, finding the wisdom and courage to address complex issues. This rooting allows them to remain flexible without being relativistic, convinced without being rigid, and true witnesses without being manipulative.

5. From Individual Stardom to Mutual Ministry

Jesus refused to be a stunt man. He did not come to walk on hot coals, swallow fire, or put his hand in the lion’s mouth to demonstrate that he had something worthwhile to say.

Rejecting solo heroism. Nouwen's move to L'Arche challenged his individualistic approach to ministry, where he had felt like a "tightrope artist" seeking applause. He realized that ministry was not a solo act but a shared experience, where accountability and community presence were paramount. Jesus, too, refused the temptation to be spectacular, to throw himself from the temple for applause, choosing instead not to prove himself.

Ministry in community. The church often mirrors society's emphasis on stardom and individual heroism, expecting ministers to "do it all alone." However, Jesus sent his disciples out "two-by-two," emphasizing communal ministry. This divine wisdom makes it easier for people to recognize that ministers come not in their own name, but in the name of the Lord Jesus, fostering a collective proclamation of the Gospel.

Mutual vulnerability. True ministry, as Jesus exemplified, is not only communal but also mutual. It's not a one-way service from "professional" to "client," but a relationship where leaders are vulnerable brothers and sisters who know and are known, care and are cared for, forgive and are forgiven. Laying down one's life means making one's own faith, doubt, joy, and sadness available to others, recognizing that we are all broken people in need of care.

6. The Healing Power of Confession and Forgiveness

How can people truly care for their shepherds and keep them faithful to their sacred task when they do not know them and so cannot deeply love them?

Overcoming isolation. To counter the temptation of individual heroism, future leaders need the discipline of confession and forgiveness. Ministers often hide their vulnerabilities, seeking comfort from distant strangers rather than within their own communities. This isolation leads to deep emotional loneliness, a need for intimacy, and a split between their private struggles and the good news they proclaim.

Living the Incarnation. When spirituality becomes detached from the body, it can lead to "carnality"—a desperate search for affection and intimacy outside of healthy community. Confession and forgiveness are the disciplines that allow leaders to live the Incarnation, integrating body and spirit within the corporate body of the community. Dark powers are brought into the light through confession, and new integration is made possible through forgiveness.

Safe spaces for healing. While not advocating for explicit public confession of all sins, Nouwen emphasizes that ministers must be full, accountable members of their communities, ministering with their whole, wounded selves. Like healing communities such as Alcoholics Anonymous, the church needs to offer safe spaces where leaders can share their deep pains and struggles with those who can guide them deeper into God's love, fostering mutual support and faithfulness.

7. Rejecting Power for Humble Leadership

It seems easier to be God than to love God, easier to control people than to love people, easier to own life than to love life.

The temptation of power. Nouwen's move to L'Arche dismantled his desire for control, revealing how his leadership was still rooted in a desire to manage complex situations. The third temptation of Jesus—to accept all the kingdoms of the world—highlights the church's historical struggle with power. Leaders have often chosen political, military, economic, or moral power, rationalizing its use in God's service, leading to crusades, inquisitions, and manipulation.

Power as a substitute for love. The allure of power is its promise of an easy substitute for the hard task of love. It's easier to control than to love, to own life than to embrace it vulnerably. This temptation is strongest when intimacy is a threat, leading many Christian "empire-builders" to opt for control over developing healthy, intimate relationships. Jesus, however, emptied himself, not clinging to divine power, but taking the form of a slave.

The way of the cross. The long, painful history of the church is marked by leaders repeatedly choosing power over love, control over the cross. True saints are those who resisted this temptation, offering hope. Christian leadership for the future must abandon power and control, embracing powerlessness and humility, making manifest the suffering servant, Jesus Christ. This is not psychological weakness, but a deep love for Jesus that trusts His guidance.

8. Maturity: The Willingness to Be Led

Jesus has a different vision of maturity: It is the ability and willingness to be led where you would rather not go.

Downward mobility. Jesus' words to Peter—"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"—reveal a radically different vision of maturity. It's not upward mobility and self-control, but the willingness to be led to unknown, undesirable, and painful places, ultimately ending on the cross. This path, though seemingly morbid, leads to the joy and peace of God.

Leadership of powerlessness. The most important quality of future Christian leadership is not power and control, but powerlessness and humility. This is not passive victimhood, but a spiritual leadership where power is constantly abandoned in favor of love. Leaders deeply in love with Jesus are ready to follow Him wherever He guides, trusting that with Him, they will find abundant life.

The poor church. Christian leaders of the future must be "radically poor," journeying with nothing but a staff, dependent on the responses of those they serve. Wealth and riches hinder discernment of Jesus' way, plunging people into ruin. Hope for the church lies in a poor church, where leaders are willing to be led, embodying the humble path of Jesus and allowing the Spirit to guide them.

9. The Discipline of Strenuous Theological Reflection

Strenuous theological reflection will allow us to discern critically where we are being led.

Thinking with Christ's mind. To live with outstretched hands and be led, Christian leaders require the discipline of strenuous theological reflection. This is not merely intellectual training or applying behavioral sciences, but thinking with the mind of Christ. Without it, leaders risk becoming pseudo-psychologists or social workers, offering secular coping mechanisms rather than Christian leadership rooted in Jesus' power to free humanity from death.

Discerning God's presence. Theological reflection enables leaders to discern God's action in human history, seeing personal, communal, and global events as kairos—opportunities to be led deeper into Christ's heart. They must articulate faith in God's real presence, rejecting fatalism, despair, and sentimental resignation. Their task is to announce how Jesus leads God's people out of slavery to a new land of freedom.

Formation in seminaries. This theological leadership demands a deep spiritual formation in seminaries and divinity schools, training individuals in true discernment of the signs of the times. It's a formation in the mind of Christ, who emptied himself rather than clinging to power. Despite the competitive world's opposition, such formation is vital for the church of the twenty-first century, enabling leaders to hear God's gentle voice amidst the world's noise.

10. Shared Vulnerability: The Essence of True Ministry

Then I realized the full truth of Jesus’ words, “Where two or three meet in my Name, I am among them” (Matthew 18:20).

Bill's transformative presence. Nouwen's presentation in Washington, D.C., with Bill Van Buren, a mentally handicapped man from L'Arche, vividly illustrated the essence of shared, vulnerable ministry. Bill's spontaneous interruptions and simple presence disarmed the formal atmosphere, reminding Nouwen that his ideas were not new and inviting the audience into the intimacy of their common life. Bill's participation transformed a solo lecture into a mutual experience.

"We did it together." Bill's repeated affirmation, "We are doing this together, aren't we?" and his delight in his own "speech," highlighted the profound truth that ministry is not about individual performance but about shared presence. Nouwen realized that while his words might be forgotten, the experience of him and Bill "doing it together" would not. This embodied the vision of Jesus sending disciples out two-by-two, making His presence real through their shared journey.

The praying, vulnerable, trusting leader. The journey with Bill solidified Nouwen's conviction that the Christian leader of the future is one with outstretched hands, choosing downward mobility. This leader is praying, vulnerable, and trusting, moving from concerns about relevance, popularity, and power to a life rooted in prayer, communal ministry, and theological discernment. This ancient vision, realized anew, offers hope, courage, and confidence for the new century.

Last updated: November 20, 2025