Jesus Christ taught us how to live in the 21st century, but Christianity has become distracted by its many traditions. As a result, worldwide civilization, that has come to rely on leadership from Christianity, is becoming chaotic. The principle elements of Christianity such as the Creed, the Commandments, the Lord's Prayer, Baptism, the Lord's Supper, and the practice of gathering every seven days are more vital to our current civilization than ever, but must be understood in a much larger context.
For example the Ten Commandments were issued at a time when all leaders were pedestal leaders. The commands of kings and emperors did not have to be explained and punishment for disobedience was severe. As a result God was thought of as a pedestal leader. Jesus Christ, the human expression of God, was a servant leader not a pedestal leader. Servant leaders live among the people and by example help others lead better lives and become servant leaders. Jesus’ servant leadership set the stage for the development of democracies later when humans became educated. We can now see that the Commandments were actually a gift from our loving God to help us live better lives together. Forgiveness is achieved through the death and resurrection of Jesus and it is a constant reminder of how vital forgiveness is in teamwork.
The Body of Christ, described by the Apostle Paul in 1 Cor. 12 in the Bible, is a metaphor for the followers of Jesus acting as a single unit, but it is also a metaphor for a 21st century team. If the dream of the Apostle Paul for a unified Christianity is ever to become a reality then Christians need to focus on teamwork and that will improve the quality of life for all people. Extensive information about servant leadership and teamwork can be found on other essays on this web site and on the likeateam.com website.
Robert C. Frank
Author of Christ's Team
