Learning Together

Over recent weeks I have been working with Marist groups on the topic of leadership. Our founder, Marcellin Champagnat spoke about the importance of Marist educators including the best practices of contemporary society in their Marist work. This, of course, applies to leadership as well as to education more generally.

While we have been focusing on educational leadership, it is clear political leadership is in a state of flux globally. Identity politics is taking over. Paul Kelly writes in the Australian '[p]eople are praised or patronised or given jobs according to identity. This is applauded as progressive politics when its real function is to divide the nation' (p12, November 9, 2016).

A key question for us is how do we see community and by extension, globalisation? For Christians, God includes us all, no matter our identity which includes our beliefs, our nationalities and our economic standings.

I came across a book recently titled 'Leading from the Emerging Future' by Otto Scharmer and Katrin Kaufer. The authors claim we are transitioning into an age of disruption as we move 'from an obsolete "ego-system" focused entirely on the well-being of oneself to an eco-system awareness that emphasizes the well-being of the whole." (http://amzn.to/2fVMe2C) 

The Holy Spirit is surely inspiring this direction. St John reminds us '... it is our duty to welcome ... [strangers] and contribute ... to their work for the truth' (3 John 1:8).

John McMahon

Kelly, P. (2016, November 9). Vandal Donald and America’s Ruin. The Australian, p. 12.