Matt's Muzings
Leadership in the Midst of the Storms of Change
I have been wrestling with leadership in the midst of the storms of change. It is a part of my Ph. D research and so I am somewhat familiar with the challenges of it, but how can I communicate with the staff at the University of the Nations? That is a part of my role and I feel challenged by this.
A Hawaiian chant began the recent Staff Gathering as we came together to seek God.
Hoe ikaika
Hoe pu me Iesu
Hoe, Hoe
Paddle strong,
Paddle for Jesus,
Paddle, Paddle.
Little did I know that the Staff Gathering would provide some wisdom for us on this voyage.
The wisdom came from the early Hawaiian/Polynesian travelers. These "Wayfinders" voyaged thousands of miles across the open sea. How did they navigate in the open sea where there are storms and no reference points that I could find?
They did it through the art of "wayfinding" - non-instrument navigation. Mau Piailug, a master navigator from Satawal in Micronesia , wrote about some of the keys for wayfinding:
"The sun is the main guide for the navigator without instruments. Sunrise and sunset are the most important parts of the day".
"The star compass is the basic mental construct for navigation. If you can identify the stars, and if you have memorized where they come up and go down, you can find your direction."
"Keep a picture of where you are going in your mind. As long as you can see it, you will not be lost."
How does this help in our modern day world where a GPS can instantly give me your location anytime I want? Here is what I am learning from some of the greatest Wayfinders of all time.
I must keep my eyes on the Son. Jesus is the reference point and I must begin and end each day with Him setting the context for where I am.
The stars are people and groups. It is through key relationships with people and groups that I am able to navigate. It is through the giftings and relationships of these stars with each other and myself that reveals where I am and helps keep me on course.
I must always keep in my mind a clear picture of where I am going. As long as I know who God has called me to be, I cannot get lost.
Mau is so sensitive as a master navigator that he can lie down inside the hull of a canoe at night and feel the different swell patterns moving under the canoe. By these swells he can tell where the canoe is going. An experienced, traditional navigator like Mau can feel and distinguish as many as four or five swells running at the same time. I want to have that type of relationship with the Holy Spirit. I want to be so sensitive that I can discern the patterns of what He is doing just by being still and listening to Him.
Let me end with a quote from Nainoa Thompson, a Hawaiian who was mentored by Mau for over 20 years and is now mentoring others:
"The principles of wayfinding are simple; the practicalities are very complex."
Seems like that sums up the challenges of working out my relationship with God and others.