Come, follow me," Jesus said… At once they left their nets and followed him.

-- Matthew 4:19-20 (NIV)

Followship

(Part One)

Who Leads?

Every leader I have ever known has been driven by the idea of accomplishing something grand and glorious – for themselves and, sometimes, for others.  Occasionally, a person will come along who is not like others around, and his or her time will coincide with breakthrough and breakout in a remarkable way.  From our modern times, you might think of business leaders like Bill Gates, political leaders like Ronald Reagan, or spiritual leaders like Billy Graham.  You might think of Jesus, who transcends time.

While it is true that some leaders have been more successful than others have been, all have scaled heights they would not have known, even in failure, had they not set out on a quest for achievement.  The influential qualities of historical leadership can captivate and entertain, with endless speculations about the effect of one solitary person on the outcomes of circumstances and events. 

Have you ever heard of Boudica?  Unless you have read some Roman or British history, you may not know the name of this fearless rebel leader who championed a revolt against the Roman Legions of Nero, which occupied Britain and Wales in 60-61 A.D. 

Boudica was a woman who, as the Warrior Queen of the Iceni (a Celtic tribe in Southeastern England), rallied hundreds of thousands to battle against the Legions of Rome, including her own daughters who rode the chariot beside her.  Ultimately, after massively defeating the Romans in their first battle, over 70,000 of the Britons were totally slaughtered on the field, in a return engagement.  The historian Tacitus reports that Boudica took her own life rather than being captured by the Romans who had unmercifully ravished her daughters.

One might wonder about Boudica and her passionate sacrifice as a leader, now lying in a forgotten grave; an obscure footnote in history – obscure, that is, until the time of Queen Victoria.  In the ancient Celtic language the name, Boudica, means “victory,” in some minds making her the first Queen Victoria.  And so, Victoria was seen to be Boudica’s namesake.  A statue was raised to Boudica’s honor in London (see photo inset) next to the Houses of Parliament.  Alfred Lord Tennyson wrote the poem Boadicea in honor of this heroic pagan figure and England took courage in challenging times, from her story of great bravery.

A partial list of other influential women might include Cleopatra, Catherine the Great, Queen Isabella of Spain, and Elizabeth I of England.  As for the men, where would the world be today had it not been for Alexander, Julius Caesar, Attila, Genghis Kahn, Tamerlane, Charlemagne, Charles Martel, William the Conqueror, Napoleon, or Hitler?  You might say, “Better off,” but outside of fiction there is no way that can be known.  History is filled with the stories and influences of these and many more.  How about America without Washington, Jefferson, Lincoln, Roosevelt (Teddy), or Reagan?  Or, what about Christianity without, Augustine, Luther, Edwards, Moody, Bonhoeffer, or Graham? 

What is leadership, and who leads?  Are leaders born, or made?  Seminars and graduate programs abound, which attempt to dissect and define this thing called leadership and, like a mist before the wind, find it hard to grasp.  One thing we can probably say is that, whatever leadership is, we know it when we see it. 

I would like to suggest here that leaders are followers, and that this is an inclination of the heart that can be both gifted at birth, and gifted in the cauldron of life.  I like to call this inclination, followship (not followership).  It is the second pillar and, following the pillar of authenticity, it marks the entrance to the Kingdom Road.  The most far-reaching question we can ask on this topic goes beyond the simple mechanics of what makes a leader.  What we want to know is not “Who leads?” but “Who follows?”  And, “Who or what are they following?”  Boudica was an uncommon leader – what drove her to do what she did?  In a world that had not yet heard the story of Jesus, who or what was she following that was worth her life?

The most powerful word in the Bible is uttered by Jesus, when He says, “Come.”  Peter, Andrew, James, and John immediately dropped what they were doing and followed.  Jesus has also called you to “Come.”  How have you responded?  Have you gotten real - authentic?  If so, then I would like to challenge you to also step out onto the Kingdom Road and find the joy of a heart inclined toward following – let the Holy Spirit do that work in you.  Ask Him to bring you to a life characterized by followship of the noble kind.  He will do it, if you ask.

Continued in Part Two.  Describing the idea of followship and looking at its three main features: brokenness, yieldedness, and wholeheartedness.