Bill Harkins
Today is the Feast Day of Gregory the Great, thought by many to be the “father” of pastoral care. Truth told there are many mothers and fathers in the history and tradition of pastoral care and pastoral theology, but he was among the first, and we honor his work in our own “Lesser Feasts and Fasts” and “Holy Women, Holy Men.”
Gregory was born into a Patrician family in about 540 and became Prefect of Rome in 573. Shortly thereafter, however, he retired to a monastic life in a community which he founded in his ancestral home on the Coelian Hill. Pope Pelagius Il made him Ambassador to Constantinople in 579, where he learned much about the larger affairs of the church. Not long after his return home, Pope Pelagius died of the plague, and in 590, Gregory was elected as his successor.
Gregory wrote eloquently about the demands of the pastoral office and the dangers of seeking it too rashly. He said: “Those who aspire to the priesthood usually delude themselves into thinking that they are seeking it out of a desire to perform good works, although this actually stems from pride and a desire to accomplish great things. Thus, one thing takes place in their conscious mind, but another motive is hidden secretly within. For the mind frequently lies to itself about itself, pretending that it loves the good work when it does not, and that it does not care for worldly glory when in fact it does. The mind often has appropriate trepidation about seeking office, but once a leadership position has been secured, it assumes that it has achieved what it rightly deserves. When it begins to enjoy its newfound superiority, it quickly forgets all of the spiritual thoughts that it once had.”
Indeed, in both my clinical work and consultations with small businesses and congregations, I have seen so often that leadership goes off the rails when the leader has lost the capacity for humility, and appropriate vulnerability, and transparency. I told my doctoral students that as long as I was working with patients, and congregations, and students, I would be in a clinical/pastoral consultation accountability group. We need others to keep us humble, and we need disciplines and practices to remind us that we live in a non-dualistic universe of “both/and” rather than “either/or.” Once we begin to believe that our way of being in the world is the only way, and we think that the rules that apply to others do not apply to us, we risk narcissism, and we lose the capacity for empathy. Among Gregory’s quotes is that “The test of Leadership is what happens when you leave.” I agree.
In the living out of the “priesthood of all believers” it is essential that we recognize that, ultimately, it’s not about us. Indeed, I believe there are parallels between the concept of quantum entanglement in physics and the idea of a divine interconnectedness or “oneness” with God, suggesting that the seemingly instantaneous correlation between entangled particles could reflect a deeper, spiritual connection between all things, potentially signifying God’s omnipresence and the interconnected nature of creation. If we are all connected, and if God is in and of each of us—if we are created Imago Dei—we do well to see appropriate vulnerability and humility as the true signs of leadership, as Gregory reminded us. And as Mary Oliver suggests here:
On the outskirts of Jerusalem
the donkey waited.
Not especially brave, or filled with understanding,
he stood and waited.
How horses, turned out into the meadow,
leap with delight!
How doves, released from their cages,
clatter away, splashed with sunlight.
But the donkey, tied to a tree as usual, waited.
Then he let himself be led away.
Then he let the stranger mount.
Never had he seen such crowds!
And I wonder if he at all imagined what was to happen.
Still, he was what he had always been: small, dark, obedient.
I hope, finally, he felt brave.
I hope, finally, he loved the man who rode so lightly upon him,
as he lifted one dusty hoof and stepped, as he had to, forward. + Mary Oliver
Gregory suggested that when “thoughts begin to stray, it is good to direct them back to the past, and for a person to consider how he behaved while still under authority.” He believed that no one could learn humility in a position of leadership who did not learn it when s/he was in a position of service and humility. “No one will know how to flee from praise when it abounds if he secretly yearned for praise when it was absent. Therefore, let each person judge his own character on the basis of his past life so that the fantasy of his thoughts will not deceive him.” Put another way, the musician Sting (of the Police) reminded us that “When you find your servant, there’s your master.”
Gregory’s pontificate was one of strenuous activity. He organized the defense of Rome against the attacks of the Lombards and fed its populace from papal granaries in Sicily. In this, as in other matters, he administered “the patrimony of St. Peter” with energy and efficiency. His ordering of the church’s liturgy and chant has molded the spirituality of Western Christianity until the present day. His writings provided succeeding generations with several influential texts, especially his Pastoral Care, which remains to this day a classic text on the work of Christian ministry. Gregory understood well the intricacies of the human heart and the ease with which growth in holiness may be compromised by self-deception. He wrote: “The pastor must understand that vices commonly masquerade as virtues. The person who is not generous claims to be frugal, while the one who is a prodigal describes himself as generous. Thus, it is necessary that the director of souls discern between vices and virtues with great care.”
Much later, the psychiatrist Carl Jung would write about the “shadow” of self-deception among leaders, especially autocratic leadership. Jung’s work emphasizes the need for leaders to understand their own motivations, biases, and unconscious patterns. This self-awareness is crucial for making ethical decisions and fostering trust within an organization, including churches. Jung believed that the process of individuation, or integrating the various aspects of the psyche, is essential for personal growth and wholeness. Effective leaders are those who have progressed on this path, allowing them to see the world more clearly and act with greater authenticity. In recognizing and addressing their own self-deceptions, leaders can become more authentic and empathetic, creating a more positive and productive environment. Authentic leadership fosters trust, collaboration, and innovation. Gregory understood this, and he knew that true leadership requires humility, and transparency, and yes, appropriate vulnerability.
Amid all his cares and duties, Gregory prepared and fostered the evangelizing mission to the Anglo-Saxons under St. Augustine and other monks from his own monastery. For this reason, the English historian Bede justly called Gregory “The Apostle of the English.” Gregory died on March 12, 604 and was buried in Saint Peter’s Basilica. His life was a true witness to the title he assumed for his office: “Servant of the servants of God.”
Blessings on your Lenten journey, and I’ll catch you later on down the trail…and I hope to see you in church! Bill+