The word hierarchy often conjures negative connotations. Our attention is stirred whenever we notice the dynamics of it at work outside of ourselves. It is natural to be appalled when a domestic helper is treated harshly or when a child is reprimanded in public but somehow, I wonder if we fail to see it in ourselves?

Working with others is a given, therefore; evaluating our own approaches to work, our practice of faith or parenting is vital. In all our interactions, we should be enabling others achieve their full potential and it is necessary for us to recognize if too often our careless and less insightful approaches to living in community can bring about much harm such as a loss confidence or self-belief which in turn can stifle potential and growth

Today, words such as equality, diversity and equal opportunity have become buzz words and yet, the word hierarchy and the hierarchical structures, which commonly greeted us at school, at university, at work and sometimes, even in our family experiences continue unchallenged , It is perhaps  the default setting which we  might often find ourselves choosing when we engage with different individuals. This could be because it has been accepted as a norm, the model we are most familiar with despite our recognition that it tends to foster negative outcomes and allows for dominance, arrogance and at times even abuse.

Perhaps it is best to unravel the complexity of this simple word that connotes much by reviewing the different ways in which it might be manifested in our thoughts and actions.

Profession and Philosophy

We all need to develop a philosophy of “why we do what we do”. For those of us who teach, this is called a pedagogy and it determines the “why” and “how” we go about fulfilling the purposes of our vocation. For a full-time homemaker (who occupies multiple ‘informal’ roles) it is important to know why the choice was made, similarly a philosophy governs all professions and should be depended upon to stay true to the ethos undergirding it. Such an awareness will help fuel a passionate purpose rather than a mediocre one in which the phrase, ‘this is what I have to do’ becomes an all-too-common expression that may point to a loss of purpose and perhaps great frustration. 

For the Christian, this ‘philosophy’ is founded on principles and values presented to us by the Word of God. We must first have experienced its value and truth for ourselves in order to recognize the life changing impact it can have on others.  However, if we are dependent on our professional identifies to fuel our self-worth dissonance begins to emerge. This is when we might feel the need to dominate.

Words provide insightful clues to character and sense of security. Listening to some describe their profession or position you might hear an underlying sense of who they are. It might be personal pride that magnifies the self by an overt emphasis on achievements or successes. Conversely, the diminished sense of self is revealed through statements like ‘I am just at home ‘that highlights perhaps a loss of self-worth. You would agree that both these are flawed positions to hold.  At other times you may recognize a depth of humility which magnifies the role of someone other than themselves in their lives.  Jesus’ words often pointed towards God as the giver of His identity: ‘I have come to fulfil my father’s will’; ‘if you see me you have seen the father.’  Referring back to God came naturally to Jesus and He was secure in this identity of being the son of God. I believe many of us actually struggle to emulate this security of one’s identity that was so visible in Jesus. In John chapter 13 we read that Jesus knew…. that he had come from God and was returning to God; so, he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing and wrapped a towel round his waist.: (Vs 3-4). Such depth of knowledge about who we are and whose we are seems to be receiving less priority as we navigate across an attention seeking environment easily losing purpose and failing to recognize that being a child of God should form our core identity.

Core identity

To be able to achieve much in our professional capacity (as I said, earlier, being a homemaker is a profession too, despite it not being acknowledged as it should), we need to ensure our identity is rooted in being loved and known by God. This means that when we present ourselves to others, (colleagues, students, spouses, children) we are secure in ourselves. It is to abide in Christ that makes this ‘identity’ possible and when we fail to do so, we are in danger of running empty and being spiritually dry: we might find ourselves working without passion, striving without joy, and functioning as mere machines engaging in repetitive robotic moves.

To abide in Christ is essential because It might be that validation is what we need to keep us doing what we do. Certainly, we must be givers of affirmation as that is the panacea which prevents us from taking another human being for granted. However, there is danger in our expectation of validation for ourselves.  We come to realize that others, be it a spouse, family member, close friend, or colleague maybe too busy to be offering the affirmation we need. Being deprived of this we can become reactive towards this emptiness, and it is our reaction towards this discomfort that often leads us to perhaps exert control over others.

To dominate, is to drown our insecurities, and this constant refusal to accommodate the ‘other’ helps us defer having to address the problem within us. Latching onto the hierarchical model to dominate, instruct, or command becomes easier and more necessary than facing the truth about ourselves. It is when the Christian ignores this primary call to abide in Christ that our own inadequacies rise to the surface. On the contrary when we do abide “we bear much fruit.” The good fruit of the Spirit, as described in the bible is love, joy peace patience, kindness goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control…. These are manifested in our abiding because it follows after the purging away of the sin that so easily gets entangled in our noblest of intentions. Tainted vessels and the presence of the holy spirit cannot co-exist and yet this is a common myth many of us have bought into and perhaps is indicative of why we might be a ‘striving after the wind’. The truth however is that only through the discipline of abiding will we make honest confessions, and thereby become vessels filled by the Holy Spirit. It is only then that we can become His servants or servant leaders in whatever spheres of life we occupy.

Jesus gave up his hierarchical position and became human, to serve. One translation of Philippians 2:6 says it like this: He existed in the form of God, yet he gave no thought to seizing equality with God as his supreme prize. [d] 7 Instead he emptied himself of his outward glory by reducing himself to the form of a lowly servant. He became human! 8 He humbled himself and became vulnerable, choosing to be revealed as a man and was obedient. [e] He was a perfect example, even in his death—a criminal’s death by crucifixion! [f]

 I believe we too must understand what we would need to “give up” in order to become true representatives of Christ. This model should become the hallmark of our character in our roles as schoolteachers, Sunday school teachers, administrators, university academics, parents, and the many other professions we might occupy. It requires a paradigm shift and an increased dependence on godly wisdom. It is essentially paradoxical because it is in contrast to what is deemed wise by society, and therefore, countercultural as we are called to be.
 

Where society demands qualifications and elevates hierarchical position as evidence of one’s worth, Christians are called to empty themselves and take the place of a servant; while worldly wisdom suggests the need to be loud or aggressive in order to be heard, God’s wisdom suggests we lean into genuine listening and let gentleness lead the way; when the world applauds those who may strut and puff to be prominent, God’s wisdom recognizes the one who is restrained in talking about their own accomplishments.

Wisdom with Humility

Godly wisdom, which we are called to rely on, is something one must wait in order receive. It cannot be gained by running ahead, being hasty and fighting to be heard? This should become the key ingredient to our own success be it in our teaching methods, business plans, homemaking, and parenting. It should be the foundation of the qualitative nature of all our work. As we abide which is to wait, we become more reliant on God, and this in turn develops humility as we realize more and more that outside of Him we can do nothing. Without wisdom and humility, we will struggle to be a proper guide walking “by the side” of someone who needs us. The temptations are rife to put down those who irritate us, to display condescending attitudes, casting someone aside because they are taking too long to complete a task or master a skill (just to mention a couple). But as Christians we need patience to recognize the value of waiting: wait till a colleague grasps or masters a task; wait and patiently guide a student who makes mistakes but tries again with the confidence you give them ; wait as your children navigate their way through the myriad issues of life with the assurance you are there if needed but not hovering over to  say ‘I told you so.  I think when we truly experience God’s patience towards us it should result in us seeing the potential of another to be better and we extend that belief in our patient waiting.
 

Change course

Many of us who have been Christians for a long time have perhaps lost this core concept of abiding, of waiting till we receive wisdom, lingering in His presence till our inner person is humbled by that waiting.  Indeed, we are involved in church, in leadership roles and ministries but we may not be abiding in Him. We might even realize we are running empty and yet dismiss it and continue on. We run this life’s course as if tomorrow will always be. Let us get back to the discipline of daily abiding, of waiting, of receiving so that when we enter our communal spaces, we are secure in ourselves and in our knowing of why we do what we do. We are secure in whose we are, then, as we begin our day in our homes, we will choose service and to be givers of love; when we relate to students, we will be patient guides who choose to have a tight rein on our tongues;  as doctors or nurses, who tend to patients and their families, our hearts will ache with theirs because we understand their anxiety and empathies, and eagerly go the extra mile; when we enter a leadership meeting or committee meeting we engage in actively listening and we wait to hear clearly and well in order that we may win the respect to be heard .Our outward achievements mean nothing if our inward growth is stunted. I hope we can all regain our purpose and passion by returning to the drawing board of life, of regaining our inner joy that comes from knowing Christ through the daily discipline of abiding in Him. Then this word hierarchy will lose the default setting in our lives and hopefully in any and every situation the need to control becomes a temptation we might find easier to let go.  

In conclusion all of life is best lived when we align it to a valid world view. We know the truth of the Gospel but falter in our daily expressions of it.  Paul said “so these three remain, faith, hope and love but the greatest of these is love. This love is best demonstrated when we like Christ model the giving up of ourselves and choose to lovingly serve and walk alongside another.  Legacies are what we all leave behind (good or bad) and a hallmark of a good legacy is when the person is recognized for having truly been humble, truly been present and in all circumstances exuded a patience that won over those whom the world has no patience for. I hope we will want to reflect and realign ourselves to a new pedagogy, one where there is no more dissonance within, living transparent lives that is unmistakably reflective of whose we are: children of the servant king. Daily choosing to give up a power that is destructive and choosing a more excellent way - Love  

Will you walk beside me?

Not ahead, although you can lead me,

Not behind, as judge or jury,

But beside me,

Enabling me to change and become better,

Helping me to distinguish my left from my right,

And because, I see you alongside with me,

I experience your humility and then my desire to be better

is that much more magnified.