Tunisia, Egypt, Yemen – Jordan not far and maybe more to come. It is amazing for me to see how people cling on power throughout their life and expect that the position is one of a lifetime. The same we have on other levels and in other fields: founders of NGO’s who think they earn a lifetime pedestal in their respective organisation, local public figures,also church personal who clings to title and hierarchy level achieved. Sometimes it seems to me that those people simply don’t know who they are and that they never have achieved the inner maturity to be who they are meant to be. They cling to power, to title, to job because that is what keeps them straight and creates the stability necessary for life. But at the end they all depend on things which are not part of their inner being. There is no freedom of a mature person.
Freedom is always difficult, it is always a challenge, it asks always for decisions – it is so much more stressful than just being told what is black and white, right and wrong and just running life according to these parameters. How often is abuse of people the result. How often is ignorance another result – ignoring the truth, ignoring the people around one as that all is not asked for in such a life. I guess that also the big and small leaders, who cannot let go, are prisoners of their own ignorance, and victims of all those around them, who only articulate what they think the person concerned want to hear.
It is always good to have people who are able, willing and allowed to speak out, draw other scenarios, disagree, advise in an honest way. And prevent that we are so much cushioned in our position that we forget that all we do will have an end, and best is that in most cases we determine when to end a chapter in our life and start a new one. And give at the end others the opportunity to grow and deliver.
I am personally grateful to everybody who is not shy to give advice, to disagree – even if I don’t like it at times .. 🙂 But at the end, they are so necessary for me to find my way through life as a priest, as a co-founder of an NGO and in all the other capacities I have to deal with people and issues.
Filed under: General, Reflection, Society and living environment, Uncategorized, Egypt, freedom, NGO, Tunisia, Yemen
God, AIDS, Africa & HOPE 