Who'd be a leader?

Barack Obama is back home, fresh from wowing millions of Germans.

After months of speculation, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert says that he will stand down in September.

The media see the Anglican Bishops’ Lambeth Conference as some kind of a test of the Archbishop of Canterbury’s leadership (maybe they reached their conclusions about the outcome even before it started).

Meanwhile the British Labour Party is facing its own leadership issues.

And – perhaps predictably – the England cricket team’s test match against South Africa has provoked questions about captain Michael Vaughan.

All this without me even mentioning Robert Mugabe… Leadership is as big an issue as ever.

Leadership challenge
Leaders appear to have great power. But the reality is often different. Those they are supposed to lead can soon tire of the leadership they have cried for.

Already, some Germans seem to be a little less keen than they were on what an Obama presidency might bring. Still, they won’t be voting for him or anyone else in the US.

So this coming week’s readings in WordLive may challenge some of our thinking about leadership. Old Testament leaders weren’t too bothered by opinion polls. But then how much do we ask what God thinks?

And as for Jesus, his leadership challenged the religious and national leaders of his day. How would he fare in today’s confused climate?

Emlyn Williams