Thursday, February 11, 2016

Follow the Leader or Simon Says

Did you ever play "Follow the Leader" when you were a child? I did. It was fun to see if I could copy exactly the actions of the child leading. "Follow the Leader" was different from the game "Simon Says." I have a few friends in other countries so let me explain "Simon Says." One person stands in front of the group and calls out an action to be taken. If this leader says, "Simon says," then we must all do the action (e.g. stand on one foot, put our right hand into the air, hop up and down), and we must continue to do the action until the leader calls out: "Simon says, 'Stop standing on one foot' " (or "Simon says to stop doing whatever he or she has told us to do). Woe to the child who does an action or stops an action without the words "Simon says" attached. To obey, "Stand on one foot" or to stop if he or she says, "Stop standing on one foot" will result in being cast out of the group...well, "cast out" is harsh phrasing. It is a game, after all. One has to sit out until there is only one person left playing, and that person wins the game. He or she has obeyed every "Simon says" direction and has not taken action or stopped taking action without the leader's "Simon says" command. 

One game is about following; the other game is about obeying what the leader says, no matter what the leader does. I never thought about the difference in the two games until two situations came into my life. 

In the first situation, I listened to a teacher stress obedience without touching on relationship with Jesus. Everything in me wanted to cry out: Oh wait until you are a mom! A child can obey with a horrible heart attitude. In a relationship between a parent and child, one really hopes for obedience; however, obedience does not build a relationship. A child fresh out of the womb can not obey. Yet, obedience does seem to be a favored topic of religious teachers. 

So let me bring up the second situation: On my second day of Lent in my journey with Jesus, I read of Jesus drawing to Himself His first disciples. The words out of His mouth are not, "Obey me!" Rather the words are "Follow me!" 

I wish I had thought of this when I was raising my children. If my child was about to run into the street or do something dangerous, I did want him or her to obey. However, doing something dangerous didn't happen daily. Yet, I used the word "obey" more often than I used the word "follow." Just as in the games mentioned in the first paragraph, obedience can be demanded no matter what the leader is doing while following requires the leader to do the action first. I realize history shows that people will follow and obey a leader straight into horrific actions against himself or his neighbor. Therefore, I'm glad Jesus walks the walk first. In fact, in His angriest moment, His anger falls on those taking advantage of the poor who are trying to obey the Jewish law of sacrifice. 

Jesus Himself says, "Follow me." We can go to weddings. We can talk with a religious intellectual. We can talk with a woman who no one else will befriend. And, in all of these situations we can offer love, kind wisdom, tranquillity, peace, serenity. 

Yesterday and the day before I wrote of a slave mentality. A slave has to obey. A person in relationship longs to follow. I chose today's picture of a time when my granddaughter was quite young because it pictures for me the joy she had in having me follow her, and the joy that I had in following.  




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