Re:Verse reading—Psalm 23 (day three)
The Lord is my shepherd.
Can we imagine a type of caring in which the vulnerable—subject to harm against which they have no defense—find themselves in the care of the powerful? And can we imagine this care being all-encompassing, such that provision for the vulnerable is not a reaction to circumstances, but an anticipation of them? We can, but only on a lower order. Shepherding has formed part of the human enterprise for a long time, so we know some animals live in this kind of care. The human spirit longs for it, yet has all but given up on the possibility of its existence. David’s turn at shepherding became a door of revelation, and someone met his longing full on. It turns out this type of caring does indeed exist, and that it’s better than we imagined.
That concept is almost unbelievable from our human perspective: a genuine, heart-driven, wisdom-encompassing care beyond that of a “sympathetic dictatorship”.
Jesus was and is a charismatic leader. Charismatic leaders care and have the concerns for the wellfare of their employees.
The type of care between a charismatic leader and his or her employees does exist in organizations. Employees who work for charismatic leaders seem to be happier and are more loyal to them.