Author: Dale McGavran

My favorite band of all time is Delirious.  They are (or were, as they are no longer together) a Christian worship band from the United Kingdom.  One of my favorite songs they recorded was a tune called “History Maker”.  The lyrics include:

“Well, it’s true today, that when people stand, with the fire of God, and the truth in hand;We’ll see miracles; We’ll see angels sing; We’ll see broken hearts making history. I’m gonna be a history maker in this land, I’m gonna be a speaker of truth to all mankind.”

Leaders must strive to be history makers. Leaders of all flavors must, as Martin Smith and the D-boys sing, speak the truth to all mankind.  Leaders who avoid truth and the speaking of it, place themselves in a position where they become ineffective.  It matters not what position a leader is in…from the lowest level to the highest paid CEO, CFO, or whatever initials follow the name – the greatest leader speaks truth…and speaks it always.

What is crucially missing in the world today is an abundance of these kinds of leaders in all manners of work.  I recently read a Forbes online article about Winston Churchill.  After returning back from a visit to the United States, it seems Churchill found the British people in a state of depression following their poor performance in the war.  After several days of discussion, Churchill rose in Parliament and spoke these words:

“I offer no apologies, I offer no excuses, I make no promises. In no way have I mitigated the sense of danger and impending misfortunes of a minor character and of a severe character which still hang over us, but at the same time I avow my confidence, never stronger than at this moment, that we shall bring this conflict to an end in a manner agreeable to the interests of our country, and in a manner agreeable to the future of the world. I have finished.” (forbes.com)

Churchill did not sugar-coat anything.  It was bleak to be sure.  He knew it…everyone knew it.  But this was not a time for speaking words of no effect.  He needed to kickstart the British into gear and out of their misery.  And he used words of truth to do it.  It wasn’t overconfidence.  It was what the people needed to hear.  Words of truth.  And don’t you think that his words of truth spoke to broken hearts?  Broken hearts that, in turn, made history.

Now, it is important to be reminded that the effective leader does not speak truth out of cruelty or abuse…but out of compassion and care.  Churchill wasn’t berating the British people.  He was encouraging them – by speaking truth.  The Apostle Paul said it best,      “…speak the truth in love.” (Ephesians 4:15).  In context, Paul was saying that to speak the truth in love would essentially lead to others finding their purpose in Christ.  I understand that not every leader makes decisions based on their faith or religious beliefs, but every leader should be overly concerned with helping his or her people find their purpose.  EVERY leader.  Every CEO, CFO, and COO.  Every military officer.  Every floor supervisor, shift supervisor, and manufacturing manager.  EVERY leader.  These are the ones who are going to be the real history makers.  These are the ones who, in spite of being surrounded by cut-throat deception, will stand in truth and speak it.  These are the ones who will see broken lives put back together.

If I am working in an organization, that is the kind of leader I would choose to follow, and my money is on the fact that you would too.  One that speaks truth in love and compassion.  One that is concerned with helping me determine my purpose.  One that finds the broken hearted, and does everything in his or her power to put them back together.

That is the leader.  That is the speaker of truth.  That is the history maker.

On August 5, 1914, a strange new contraption was installed on the corners of Euclid Avenue and East 105th Street in Cleveland, Ohio.  Given the patent 1,251,666, James Hoge invented what is considered by any sane person to be a wonderful contraption.  It made life so much better especially as the gradual disappearance of horse-drawn carriages occurred.  It consisted of four pairs of red and green lights serving as stop-go indicators mounted on a corner post.  The Cleveland Automobile Club said that this system was, perhaps, destined to revolutionize the handling of traffic in congested city streets and should be seriously considered by traffic committees for general adoption.  Thus became the first electric traffic signal.

Each person has an internal traffic light that guides them through life, through traffic jams so to speak.  While in the Air Force, I, along with thousands of others, believed it all started with the core value of integrity first.  But what is it that guides us to this point?  I mean, you could have all the odds stacked in your favor and still make the worst decision.  What drives you to considering integrity first?  Maybe you define it as conscience.  Maybe an internal moral compass.  But can those things be counted on to always show red when you should not go down that road, and then turn green when you should?  Can they be counted on to turn yellow when there is caution ahead?  To help ensure we get this right, we need help.  I’ll get to that momentarily, but first a story.

Many of today’s generation were introduced to Sacagawea through the movie “Night at the Museum”, in which a wax statue of her comes to life after the museum closes.  She ends up befriending Theodore Roosevelt (played by Robin Williams).  Interesting, but not very historical…Roosevelt was born after Sacagawea died.  But then, it was just a movie.  Of course we know the real Sacagawea assisted Meriwether Lewis and William Clark on their famous expedition. We don’t know for sure, but Lewis and Clark might not have made it without her as a guide and interpreter.  Certainly, they would have faced increased levels of difficulty, and may not have made the right decisions based on their language skills and levels of knowledge.  As a guide, she was pretty important.  At least the United States Mint thought so…they created a coin in her honor.  Not many people can claim that honor.

So, what is this help I referred to prior to the last paragraph?  It is a life-saver, literally.  It is life’s bonus.  It is a great promise found in Proverbs 16:9.  It, too, serves as a type of guide.  It reads, “A man’s heart plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps.”  Said another way, a man sees in his own mind that the light is green and the path ahead is clear, but the Lord is telling him to stop, and to take a different route.

Much like following traffic lights will help get you safely to your destination, there is a result of following the direction of God.  It is abundant life (who wouldn’t want that); it is what the writer in Psalm 1 quite pointedly wrote; If you follow his leading then you will walk not in the counsel of the ungodly, you will bypass standing in the path of sinners, you will avoid sitting in the seat of the scornful.  If you follow his leading then you will be like a tree that is planted by the rivers – full of life and strength, you will bear fruit – in which others will benefit from you living a life reflective of God.

Perhaps at one time or another you have seen the cover of Action Comics #1.  Though it’s ok if you haven’t.  You might not be a comic book fan.  But, if you were a fan and you could have only one comic, Action Comics #1 would probably be it (because an original copy sold for more than $3 million).  On the cover, Superman is lifting a green car and smashing it against some rocks.  Why?  Maybe it was a runaway car and he was rescuing the guy crouching in fear behind it.  Maybe it was used by bank robbers and Superman was stopping them cold in their tracks.  Or maybe he harbored bad feelings for that make and model.  Actually, if you owned the comic and opened the pages you would discover that in this scene, Superman is rescuing Lois Lane from a kidnapper who happened to be driving the green car.  In this comic and in subsequent issues, Superman always saw something that had to be done (runaway car, bank robbers, people in distress), and he leapt into the fray.  In other words he took action.

George Clymer took action too.  I know what you are thinking…“oh, sure, ol’ George Clymer.  He sure was a man of action.”  Or maybe you are thinking, “Who in the world is George Clymer?”  If you find yourself in this latter group, let me offer you a small glimpse into the life of this relatively unknown guy.  George Clymer was born on March 16, 1739.  When he was 36 years old, he was appointed as the Continental treasurer, responsible for tracking the funds for the American Revolution.  But he was not just any old treasurer.  He led the efforts on getting corn, flour, gunpowder, and other essential items into the hands of the Continental Army.  But he didn’t stop there.  He helped fund the war effort by exchanging his own gold and silver for Continental paper currency.  This was an enormous gamble, for if the war for independence failed, Clymer would have lost it all.  Of course we know how hard it was for George Washington’s army to get anything they needed, which makes Clymer’s story even more compelling.

George Clymer was not without his personal tragedies though.  The story goes that when the British Army defeated the Continentals at a battle near Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania, the British then went out of their way to ransack Clymer’s home in Chester County.  As his wife and children hid in the woods and watched, the British Army destroyed all of his belongings before moving on.  When the British invaded Philadelphia they targeted what they believed was another of Clymer’s homes.  As they were tearing the house down, they found out that the home was actually owned by someone else.  Clearly, the British hated this guy.

It was Benjamin Franklin who purportedly said as he was signing the Declaration of Independence, that they (the signers) “…must, indeed all hang together, or most assuredly we shall all hang separately.”  Well, George Clymer would have been one of those hanging next to Franklin.  Clymer was a delegate from Pennsylvania who penned his signature to the document that would forever seal the fate of the colonies.  Clymer also signed another of our nation’s most important documents – the Constitution.  In fact, George Clymer was only one of six individuals to sign both the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution of the United States.  He saw what was going on around him, perhaps runaway horse carriages, robbers, and people in distress.  He certainly saw injustice at the hands of the British.  He witnessed this and leapt into the fray.  In other words, like Superman, he took action.

But that is where the comparison ends.  As much as we might not want to believe it, Superman is not real.  He faces imaginary villains, has imaginary powers, and the story almost always has a happy ending (kind of like every Hallmark Christmas movie ever made).  George Clymer did not have that same kind of guarantee.  Things could have turned south for him really quick.  Fortunately, they did not.  Clymer and the others took action and led the efforts of the colonies to unite against the British, risking everything in the process.  That is what leaders do.  They see something that needs to be done, and they do it.  They see an injustice in the world, and they tackle it.  They see those in need, and they help.  They see a fledgling nation struggling to gain its footing, and they act on the desire to have a better outcome.

Nehemiah, too, was a man of action.  With his city laying in ruins, Nehemiah asked the king for an extended leave of absence from his job as the cupbearer.  This wasn’t going to be one of those “take some time over the weekend and report back to me Monday morning” gigs.  HIs city was basically rubble.  This was one of those projects that was going to take time to put back together.  And Nehemiah was not one of those who could sit on the sidelines while the work was done.  He saw people in distress, and he needed to help.  He put on his architect’s hat and examined the destruction, envisioning a better tomorrow.  He put on his city planner’s hat and organized the people into teams.  He put on his soldier’s hat and prepared to lead the Israelites in defending the walls against its enemies.  He put on his coach’s hat and encouraged his countrymen in recognizing their strengths and talents.  In other words, he took action.

You don’t have to lift a car over your head, sign your life away, or put a city back together again to be a leader.  Having all of that on your resume would be pretty sweet though.  To be a leader, what you do need to do is equally important.  When you see an injustice in the world, tackle it.  When you see those in need, help them.  When you see individuals in distress, that is your cue…take action.

Imagine a series of events that starts with your alarm not waking you up.  While you rush around trying to get ready for work, the kids miss the bus.  So, you have to take them to school, which only makes you later for work.  The next day, on the drive to your job, the car breaks down.  After calling three towing companies, one finally agrees to come and get you.  “Joe” informs you that it is going to cost $1,000 to fix your car, never mind it is a $1,000 you don’t have.  The next day does not bring any relief.  The doctor’s report comes back with less than positive news.  To top it all off, over the weekend your spouse decides to he is ready to change you in for a “younger” model.

What would it take to get you to climb out of that bed the next morning?  You just want to close your eyes and make it all go away.  You are not sure you can go on.  I mean, after all, your world sort of just fell apart.  But here is the thing…trust me, you can make it.  You are more than a conqueror.

People experience life shattering events of all flavors.  Military spouses get a visit from a casualty notification team.  Phone calls occur informing of a death in the family.  Doctor reports have the c-word in the diagnosis that no one ever wants to receive.  Supervisors call in employees and tell them that their position was “done away with” because of company downsizing.  And worlds continue to fall apart.  But, trust me, you can make it.  You are more than a conqueror.

You are more than a conqueror.  I could just stop there with those six words.  But I want to tell you a story.  It is the story of a conqueror.  His name was Robert Preston Taylor.  He was a chaplain stationed with the Army in the Philippines when Japanese forces overtook the island.  Taylor was one of thousands captured and later forced into the infamous Bataan Death March.  He survived for more than three years in the Cabanatuan POW camp, including several weeks in solitary confinement and the “heat box”, which he shared with flies, maggots and mosquitoes, all for smuggling food and medicine to prisoners in need.

In October 1944, Taylor and the other prisoners were loaded onto “Hell Ships” and sent to the Japanese main land.  American bombers patrolling in the area spotted the ships and began attacking them.  Taylor was injured twice during these bombing attacks.  The Japanese soon abandoned the ships and left the prisoners to die in the holds.  However, a bomb ripped a hole in the deck of the ship Taylor was on, so he and the others were able to climb through and jump into the water.  Fortunately, the dive-bombers realized the men were fellow Americans so they called off the attack.  Chaplain Taylor survived only to be put onto another prison ship and sent to yet another POW camp.

On September 11, 1945, Chaplain Taylor’s nightmare finally came to an end.  The Allies liberated the POW camp, so Taylor was headed home.  He arrived in San Fransisco on November 1st and was reunited with his wife Ione.  He ran up and embraced her.  But something was wrong.  She did not return the affection.  She explained that she had heard that he was killed, and in the months since, had met another man and remarried.

Can you imagine surviving 42 months of captivity in several POW camps, watching many of your friends die in front of you?  Can you imagine being crammed into a metal box for weeks, where it felt like the sun was 10 feet away?  Can you imagine being wounded by your own forces because they mistook you for the enemy?  Can you imagine sailing on that ship for San Fransisco, each moment caught up in only one thought – seeing your wife for the first time in four years?  Can you imagine your spouse explaining that she had remarried because she thought you were dead, and now there would be no future together?

I tell this story because the world needs Robert Preston Taylors.  Too many people face daunting challenges and feel as though they cannot take another step forward.  Those suffering today need to know and understand that others have survived equally devastating news and have found a way to bounce back.  Today, we call that resilience.  A friend of mine compared the idea of resiliency to the old Timex watch commercial (you know the one where the tag line is “It takes a licking and keeps on ticking”).  What we call it is the least important aspect of all this.  I doubt the word resilience ever graced Chaplain Taylor’s lips, but he knew he could “take a licking and keep on ticking,” because of his faith.

The apostle Paul understood this as well.  In his second letter to the Corinthian church, Paul wrote:

“In labors more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequently, in deaths often…  Three times I was beaten with rods; once I was stoned; three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I have been in the deep; in journeys often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils of my own countrymen…in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea…in weariness and toil, in sleeplessness often, in hunger and thirst….” (2 Corinthians 11:23-27)

Sounds eerily familiar with Taylor’s own experience…beatings, prison, sleeplessness, hunger, thirst, cold, in perils of water, and even perils of one’s own countrymen (remember the bombings at the hands of his fellow Americans).  In spite of all this, Chaplain Taylor understood, like Paul, that while suffering at the hands of this world, we can bounce back, but more importantly, we can be “more than conquerors through Him who loved us”.

**As a footnote to this story, Chaplain Taylor remained in the service, transferring to the Air Force and eventually becoming the third Air Force Chief of Chaplains.  You can read his story in the book, “Days of Anguish, Days of Hope” written by Billy Keith.

I recently toured Ellis Island in New York City.  It was fascinating to walk through the building where millions of people started a new life draped in one word – hope.  Many had nothing but the clothes on their back and perhaps a trunk filled with their most prized possessions.  Most left families behind in Europe, all in the hope (there’s that word again) that a new home would bring new possibilities.  Men, women, and children lined up to be examined by doctors and labeled acceptable or not acceptable for entrance into the United States.  Whatever their standing in life; whatever existence they were about to pursue; whatever dream or aspiration was on their heart – they all had one thing in common: hope.

This small word packs such a powerful punch.   No one ever walks through life successfully without it.  Hope is present in conversations parents have with their children.  It is right there when a doctor is describing the next step in treatment for his patient.  It permeates commencement speeches at high schools and colleges around the world each graduation season.  It is everywhere…yes, even in the movies.  “Dunkirk” came out several months ago.  In one of the trailers for the movie, the voice-over guy makes the announcement, “hope is a weapon.”  Yes it is, voice-over guy.  You see, hope is not just an idea that floats around in the imagination.  It is real.  It is substance.  And yes, it is a weapon.

On Christmas night in 1776, hope was in the forefront.  General George Washington, along with about 2,500 men crossed the Delaware River for a surprise attack on enemy forces in encamped in Trenton, New Jersey.  The attack was a success.  The timing could not have been better.  Men were walking away in droves because of the lack of food, supplies, coats, shoes, and pay.  The revolution stood at the brink of collapse.  If something wasn’t done soon, the Continental Army would not be an army at all.  But Washington was not about to give up.  He called for a plan that would turn the tide and give a much-needed boost to the men.  It was crazy, really.  He would take his small army of 2,500 men (less than half of his planned strength of 5,500), cross the river at night in freezing cold, march several miles into Trenton, and surprise the sleeping Hessians.  Of course, the plan did not unfold as Washington had envisioned.  Plans rarely do, even the best.  The Continental Army arrived hours later than intended.  They had much fewer numbers than called for.  It was a recipe for disaster.  But Washington, being the great leader he was, had an ace up his sleeve – – hope.  And it was a good thing he did.  The victory brought a renewed fighting spirit to the men.  The Continental Army would live to fight another day.

Some might argue whether hope is really a weapon.  Sure, I know it is not a tangible thing that one can actually physically touch, like a sword or a musket.  But I would argue that on that particular Christmas night in 1776, hope was more powerful than any gun a soldier carried.  It was more piercing than any saber an officer wore at his side.

Ask any leader today, and they will tell you the same thing.  Hope is critical.  If one wants to thrive in any environment, hope must be present.  Remember the words of the prophet Isaiah; “…but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength.  They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.” (Isaiah 40:31) Who would not want to soar like an eagle or run and not grow tired and weary?

If you are in a place of uncertainty today, put yourself in the shoes of the young mother or father standing in the registry room in the Ellis Island Immigration Center.  Rediscover hope.  Hope for a new beginning.  Hope for a new dream.  Renew your hope today and you will see that Isaiah’s words are true; and you will see…hope is a weapon.