Saint Andrew was the INFLUENCER who lead his brother, Saint Simon Peter, the LEADER, to Christ.
There are different ways that a person can lead a group.
Some people lead by standing at the front of the room and communicating a vision and showing themselves as a leader at the front of the room. These are people as I imagine General Napoleon Bonaparte was. They have the ability to stand and make commands and have others listen o what they say and do as they ask. These sort of leaders demand trust and respect and receive it because they have earned it through their actions and their words, which prove to others that they are people to be trusted and respected.
But then there are other leaders. I call these kinds of leaders “influencers”. And an influencer is a very different kind of leader. These people are those who rarely stand at the front of the room. These people instead are used to standing at the back. They speak to others in the room, quietly and gently. They make suggestions instead of making demands. They are rarely followed directly, but rather, they give the leader of their choice a nudge and wait for that person to respond and take direction indirectly…
And I have been reflecting on this different type of leadership. You see, while some of us are called to openly stand in front of a crowd and direct them, others direct quietly from the sidelines. And I have been reflecting on how that affects us as individuals and – more importantly – as Catholic Children of God…
There is so much good that can be done by strong leadership – no matter the form.
Strong leadership, either by standing at the front of the room or standing at the back can direct other souls to God.
Saint Simon Peter was called to be the rock upon which the Church was built, which means he was called to stand at the front of the room. But Saint Simon Peter was not the only leader – there was Saint Andrew as well. Saint Andrew was the INFLUENCER who lead his brother, Saint Simon Peter, the LEADER, to Christ. It was Saint Andrew who first heard the Messiah. It was Saint Andrew who went and called Saint Simon Peter to tell him that he had found Christ. And today I have been thinking that if it was not for influencers like Saint Andrew, we would not have had leaders in the Catholic Church like Saint Simon Peter…
And today, I give thanks to God for the influencers who are not standing at the front of the crowd, but rather who linger at the back. For these quiet and often humble souls, can work such wonders through the Grace of God simply by speaking to other souls so that those who God has chosen to lead can stand at the front of the crowd…
For with prayer, I stand on Holy Ground where everything is clear. Here. At the Foot of the Cross.