B: 21st Sun of OrdTime (26 Aug 2018) - STATEPERSONS NOT SHOWMEN - Jn 6:60-69

Peter in our gospel today is especially featured. But unlike in the Synoptics where he as an individual person is pedestaled with incredible knowledge of Jesus’ divine identity (cf. Mt 16:13-28; Mk 8:27-9:1; Lk 9:18-27), he is presented in the Gospel of John only as the spokesperson of the Twelve. Using the personal pronoun “we” thrice (“we go,” “we believe,” and “we know” in Jn 6:68-69) Peter indicates to Jesus that what he says is a product of their collective thought, not his own making. After several departures of the initial followers of Jesus (v. 66), Peter and the other apostles might have convened among themselves. When asked by Jesus, Peter declared the consensus of the group. To this, instead of commending Peter as he did particularly in Mt 16:18 (“You are Peter and upon this rock I will be build my church”), Jesus was mum to this doctrinal ascent. It is because Jesus knew that Peter is not speaking his own mind; he was only echoing the sentiment of the group.

This kind of leadership is similarly displayed in our First Reading. After crossing the Jordan and regaining the Promised Land, Joshua gathered all the leaders of the tribes in Shechem (Josh 24:1) and asked what their mind is. He began by unpacking first the collective decision of his own family (“As for me and my household, we will serve the Lord” in v. 15) and allowed the crowd to decide on their own whom they would serve as their god. In response, the people spoke their mind freely: “Therefore we also will serve the Lord, for he is our God” (v. 18).

Our readings today emphasize a collegial type of leadership. A true leader consults his constituents, dialogues democratically with local heads, and makes a decision in harmony with the community. His/her words are reflective of everybody else’s, not a litany of his/her personal biases, whims and prejudices. Sadly, our global society today are filled with populist leaders who take the political platform and spontaneously open their mouths tactlessly, even if their statements are racially offensive, gender insensitive, promotive of violence, invasive of religious and cultural differences, and counter to the constitutional and moral laws of the land. The even worse thing is that the public applauds them, subscribing to their hollow words and divisive ideas. What we rather need today are statespersons, not standup entertainers and rhetorical showmen. We need leaders who are humble enough to set aside their personal views in respect of the communal integrity and betterment. We need leaders who knows how to lead, not causes the population to bleed.

A good example is seen in Pope Francis’ recent letter, where he apologizes, in behalf of the Catholic Church, for all the sexual abuses committed by men in garb in history. Such deeds and misconducts are never tolerable, so he sides with the cause of the victims, forging an attempt toward accountability and justice. It is self-incriminating for a leader to say such things, but he does this to speak the common mind of all clergymen: we are collectively sinful, and we will do our best to resolve this crisis and begin to convert ourselves for the sake of the welfare of the community (see: https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2018-08/pope-francis-letter-people-of-god-sexual-abuse-summary.html). Church leaders can indeed be sinful just like societal leaders… but the good thing with the Supreme Pontiff is he humbles himself, calling all ecclesiastical leaders to do the same. May all leaders of our lands follow his lead lest we end up having more showmen than statespersons.

- Rex Fortes, CM