When Lord Tennyson wrote his epic poem about the Charge of the Light Brigade in the Crimean War, he neglected to report one vital thing: as the 600 riders rode fearlessly towards the enemy with their captains at the front leading the charge with their swords drawn, they soon came into range of the enemy canons. At this moment the bugler sounded “Officers to the rear! Officers to the rear!” and as the leaders reigned in their horses the common rank and file surged past to take the hits. That was not leadership. That was chickenship. The buglers in the Army of God only ever sound “Officers to the fore! Officers to the fore!” That’s because we take our leadership cue from The Leader of Leaders, Jesus Christ, who didn’t dodge any bullets but rather led the charge himself up the rocky path of Golgotha.
PJ Smyth