What leaders should learn from Jesus' washing of disciples feet

In African traditions, there is a belief, often with experiential evidence in families, that a respected ailing leader would have a premonition of his death. The man would call his children and grandchildren. He would ask to be visited by the people he held dear. He would give different messages to his family.

To one, he would caution. To another, he would praise and encourage. To yet another, he would curse. But the man would bless one of the sons, often the firstborn, to lead the family in his absence. An elder would not just die. He will gather his family and bequeath a will. As the traditions hold it, no one would be around at the hour of death. Even those nursing him would step out only to go back to a lifeless body.

Today is Holy Thursday in Christian tradition. It is a very special day, particularly for priests, because it is the day the ministry of priesthood was instituted during Jesus’ Last Supper with his disciples.

In the Last Supper, Jesus gathered his family of disciples. He knew his hour to “drink the cup” had come. He needed to leave a will. A divine will to his disciples. Like an African elder who knew his hour had come, Jesus prepared his disciples for life after him. He blessed them. Gave them the vision and mission of continuing the work of his Father in Heaven. But one of the disciples, one Judas Iscariot, partaking in the same meal, had been bribed to betray him. Jesus knew all this.

I have not encountered anyone called Judas Iscariot except in derogatory terms. Parents do not give their children names with negative connotations. Yet, many of us perfectly fit into the shoes of Judas Iscariot. The greed in squandering money meant for the education of millions of students, funds of thousands of patients and even money meant to support religious initiatives disappears in Judas-like schemes. Perhaps it is time we called some buildings Judas Iscariot Towers. ‘Not quite. This is on a light note!

My main point from this Holy Thursday concerns the symbolism of Jesus washing his disciples’ feet. This is an example of the type of leadership he commissioned his disciples to practice.

It is from this act that we derive the servant leadership model. Jesus, like the African elder at his last hour, wanted to be sure his family—disciples—knew their identity well. They had to preserve it. Anyone raised to be a leader of his followers has to be a servant leader. He is not to be served but to serve. Leadership is a service to others. It is not a kitega Uchumi (source of income) as Judas Iscariot had fantasised.

A few names of such as servant leaders pop up in my mind: AIC Bishop Alexander Muge, Bishop Ndingi Mwana Nzeki, Bishop Henry Okullu, Bishop David Gitari and the Servant of God Maurice Cardinal Otunga, all of good memory.

They had different leadership styles but one common characteristic: Commitment to social justice. They understood that as servant leaders, their mission was not to bend to any human being but to their master, Jesus Christ. These are the kind of disciples who give meaning to Holy Thursday.

The critical lesson for servant leaders is to know, like an African elder whose hour has come and even more clearly like Jesus, the people in their inner circle of leadership. People with proximity to power, like Judas Iscariot, can poison a whole institution. There were 12 disciples, and among them was this one bad apple. But the damage this one bad apple did to the early Church was immense. Judas used insider information to hand over his master.

Servant leadership is not without its risks. Fixing the eyes on the ultimate goal of building the Kingdom of God on earth means that money-minded apples like Judas will not be amused. They will trap, trip, or conjure evil plans in darkness to bring down an upright leader. Throughout Church history, servant leaders have stood up to wicked leaders, sometimes at a cost.

Dr Mokua is Executive Director of Loyola Centre for Media and Communication