John the Baptist
June 2007
I have three heroes in my life. They are heroes to me because all three were able to do the very same thing.
John the Baptist was at the very pinnacle of his power and popularity. He could criticise Herod the king and make a lifelong enemy of Herodias the queen, with impunity. Then Jesus came along and without a moment's hesitation he proclaimed him as 'the one for whom they were waiting' and encouraged all his followers to follow Jesus. This they did in huge numbers. With a greatly diminished following Herod and Herodias were able to arrest John and have him executed. John well knew that this would be the outcome of his handing over to Jesus but this did not deter him.
Cassius Clay, aka Mohammed Ali, was the Heavyweight boxing champion of the world. He was already a millionaire and had every prospect of remaining world champion for the next ten years. He also spoke his mind loudly and abrasively. This was at the time of the Vietnam War and general conscription in the USA. Ali received notice of his conscription and given his popularity and high public profile would very likely be given some PR job in the army. He would also retain his title and boxing career. Ali believed that the Vietnam War was immoral and illegal. He refused to be conscripted and was tried and jailed and stripped of his title. The president, government and the majority of the American people vilified him. For many years now everyone 'knows' that the Vietnam war was wrong and immoral and it was with great pleasure that I witnessed Mohammed Ali represent, not only the athletes but also the people of the USA at the Atlanta Olympics by being chosen to light the Olympic torch. Some small restitution for the great wrong done to him.
Nelson Mandela was elected by a huge majority to be the first president of post-apartheid South Africa. I was in South Africa at the time and everyone took it for granted that he would remain president until his death or until he became incapacitated. After all, this was what always happened in Africa and in other countries where free democratic elections were not the norm. As far as South Africans were concerned Mandela and God were on an equal footing. Then the bombshell. Soon after he became president he announced that he was only doing one four-year term. A lot of people believed that he would find an excuse to change his mind but this did not happen. His reason for doing this was not age or ill health; after all he is still going strong and is as busy as he would be as president. He understood that clinging on to power at any cost was a major obstacle to progress, especially in Africa. What he did, he did as a potent example to others.
Willingness to relinquish control over people, willingness to relinquish control over one’s own destiny, is a great gift. That is why the three above-mentioned people are my heroes. This is something required, by church law, of the leadership of religious orders and congregations, at regular intervals, and is much to their benefit. Unfortunately this is not so for Popes and Bishops.
This being my attitude and conviction, what I have just said would be meaningless if I did not try, in my own small way, to emulate their example. Therefore, since about 1980, it is my custom, after six years in any position, to write to the relevant authority putting myself at his disposal for reassignment.