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THE CITY AND ITS PEOPLE (NEHEMIAH 7:1-7,70-73) LENT DAY 25

THE CITY AND ITS PEOPLE (NEHEMIAH 7:1-7,70-73) LENT DAY 25

REFLECTION

The theme for our reflection is “The city and its people”. After Nehemiah led the building of the broken walls of Jerusalem in Judah, he focused on the city and its inhabitants . We shall focus on the fact that leadership is not about personal achievements but people-centred achievements.

Dear friend, Nehemiah could have felt a sense of accomplishment and achievement after he had fulfilled his main aim of rebuilding the walls. He could have left the people to their fate but beyond rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem, he had the welfare and security of his people in mind. He was particular about their settlement and the social organisation of Jerusalem. “After the wall had been rebuilt and I had set the doors in place, the gatekeepers, the musicians and the Levites were appointed. I put in charge of Jerusalem my brother Hanani, along with Hananiah the commander of the citadel, because he was a man of integrity and feared God more than most people do. I said to them, “The gates of Jerusalem are not to be opened until the sun is hot. While the gatekeepers are still on duty, have them shut the doors and bar them. Also appoint residents of Jerusalem as guards, some at their posts and some near their own houses.” (Nehemiah 7: 1-3) Dear friend, until the people we lead are safe and secure, our leadership is incomplete. In other words, leadership is beyond infrastructure development, it is about people. If it was about only the rebuilding of the broken walls of Jerusalem, Nehemiah would have considered his work done and felt proud of himself, but until the people were secured, happy and well-settled in the city, his leadership regime was yet to succeed holistically.

Again, to be able to succeed and fulfil the desire of the people we lead, we must receive wisdom and guidance from God. “Now the city was large and spacious, but there were few people in it, and the houses had not yet been rebuilt. 5 So my God put it into my heart to assemble the nobles, the officials and the common people for registration by families…The priests, the Levites, the gatekeepers, the musicians and the temple servants, along with certain of the people and the rest of the Israelites, settled in their own towns.” (Nehemiah 7:4-5,75). It is unfortunate that when some leaders are talking about achievement, they make reference to their personal efforts and records without reflecting on the impact they have made on their people. The greatest achievement of leadership is when the people we lead are satisfied, secure and have hope for a better future. It is not enough to occupy a leadership position or be present as a parent, your children must experience love, security and success as a result of your parenting. It is not enough to be a political leader, the citizens of the nation, constituency and district must experience your long-lasting impact in their lives during your tenure as their District Chief Executive, Member of Parliament, Minister and President. It is not enough to be a church leader, your church members must experience your care, empathy love and impact in their lives. Leadership is not about personal achievements it is always about the people we serve, their safety, human dignity and future aspirations and prosperity.

When the city and its people experienced the impactful leadership of Nehemiah they responded to his leaders by also offering their support to mutually succeed in restoring the nation. Some of the heads of the families contributed to the work. “The governor gave to the treasury 1,000 darics of gold, 50 bowls and 530 garments for priests. 71 Some of the heads of the families gave to the treasury for the work 20,000 darics of gold and 2,200 minas of silver. 72 The total given by the rest of the people was 20,000 darics of gold, 2,000 minas of silver and 67 garments for priests.” (Nehemiah 7:70-72). A leader can’t succeed without the support of those he leads. The leader provide direction and encouragement and the people respond by providing human and material resources, encouragement and support. This is the mutuality of a people-centred leadership. Both the leaders and people are interdependent and play complementary roles to achieve a common goal. It is for this reason that adult and working children must support their parents, church member must support their pastors, citizens must support their political leaders and natives must support their chiefs. Poor and low growth and development will take place when people are apathetic or indifferent towards leadership. We must be determined to support those who dedicate their time, effort and entire life to lead us in achieving a common goal or fulfilling our purpose.

In summary, we have reflected on the theme “The City and its people.” We have discovered that leadership is not about personal achievements but people-centred achievements. Shalom

PRAYER

Almighty God, we humbly ask that You give us empathetic, selfless and wise leaders even as You grant us the desire to follow their leadership and offer our support to them for the attainment of our common goals and aspirations as a family, society, church and nation. Amen.