Living with Strength and Kindliness

James, John and the badge of honour….

It’s been an exciting week this week with the changeover of our Senior Student House Leaders for 2022 and the whole of our Year 11 cohort undertaking a Student Leadership Workshop as part of this year’s Retreat Program.

To begin our Year 11 Retreat we gathered in prayer, via Google Meet of course (the new way to do everything!).  Our prayer for the day focused on the ‘The Request of James and John’ from the Gospel of Mark.

This story is a very relevant one when discussing the topic of leadership. 

The Request of James and John

 James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came forward to him and said to him, “Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask of you.” And he said to them, “What is it you want me to do for you?” And they said to him, “Grant us to sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your glory.” But Jesus said to them, “You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, or be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?” They replied, “We are able.” Then Jesus said to them, “The cup that I drink you will drink; and with the baptism with which I am baptized, you will be baptized; but to sit at my right hand or at my left is not mine to grant, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared.”

When the ten heard this, they began to be angry with James and John. So Jesus called them and said to them, “You know that among the Gentiles those whom they recognize as their rulers lord it over them, and their great ones are tyrants over them. But it is not so among you; but whoever wishes to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wishes to be first among you must be slave of all. For the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many.”

In Mark 10:35 – 45, James and John (who are Apostles)  approach Jesus to ask if they can occupy the seats to the right and left of him; they want to sit up and enjoy the glory of being one of Jesus’ followers.  It’s a pretty bold request and one that illustrates that James and John are impatient and want the benefits and recognition of being Jesus’ friends without doing too much of the hard work to deserve it.

Jesus responds to their request stating that they would indeed be able to drink out of the same cup as Jesus, but the right to sit by his side must be earnt. He states that it will be others who will look at their behaviour and their actions, and judge whether or not they are worthy to sit by his side.

Jesus’ idea of leadership was one of service, not one of honours and this is an important lesson to us all.  This story in Mark clearly states that to be a leader is to be like a servant or a slave; a concept that is probably a bit confronting for many of us but a concept that is entirely altruistic; a selfless concern for the wellbeing and promotion of others.

Our new student leaders have a badge. But the notion of ‘Leadership’ does not require a formal title.  We are all asked to share our skills and talents with the people and the world around us.   James and John wanted the honour of being beside Jesus but Jesus’ wanted them to know that there was work to do first, that they had to get their hands dirty and that they had to prove to the people they were leading that it was their intention to lead by example, be present to their followers and put the best interests of others forward as a matter of priority.

Creator God, we thank you for the gifts and talents of the new Senior Student House Leaders of our school for 2022. Make clear paths for them to follow that they might lead, as you did, with love, kindness and patience promoting the interests of all of the members of our College community. Amen.

We look forward to the upcoming election of our incoming Year 8 and Year 10 Student House Leaders in just a few weeks!

Kirrilee Westblade

Catholic Identity Leader