This is a series of musings from my big leather (really broken-in – to the point of broken-down) chair.
- When passion is paired with compassion they become a powerful combination. From a leadership standpoint, passion is enough to pique the interest of others, but compassion will win their hearts. The Bible tells of David’s son, Absalom, stealing the hearts of the people by daily sitting out at the gates and listening to their problems. Even though David was Israel’s greatest king and was beloved by the people for many years, he had lost sight of the importance of keeping the connection intact. Absalom never won a battle, never delivered Israel from a single enemy, and never made one sacrifice of which we are aware for the nation of Israel; yet, he was able to usurp David’s throne and the nation’s hearts by simply showing concern for their daily issues. David, on the other hand, never lost a battle, conquered all of Israel’s enemies, killed the giant (Goliath) that threatened their freedom, and gave them national security, pride, and financial stability. Yet, he made the cardinal mistake of losing touch with the people’s daily concerns. We have seen the same principal at work in our lifetimes. Repeatedly, the American public has proven that they will vote their pocketbooks over principal, national security, or even budget control. Does that make us, or the Israelites bad people? No. What it proves is that the public doesn’t really look at the big picture, and while the leader must see this big picture, he better not lose sight of all the little pictures that make up each individual’s daily life.