I look at the latest news. It does not take long before the morning light is threatened by darkness. The leaders of the world seem so lost and gripped by all the wrong ideas and emotions. And the rest of us?
“When man listens, God speaks. When man obeys, God acts.” These two sentences were from early on foundation stones in Frank Buchman’s faith, life and work. They have been hallmarks of the movement he initiated, the Oxford Group and Moral Re-Armament and what today is called Initiatives of Change. However, God’s guiding hand in the lives of individuals, communities and nations has a long history and is part of the divine mosaic that belongs to humanity.
Philip Boobyer’s book The Spiritual Vision of Frank Buchman and its chapter on ‘Guidance’ tells how Frank Buchman’s experience on this matter evolved. Another book, Escape to live by Edward Howell, shows how God’s guidance in some cases can save our lives. Both books can be found on this website.
God’s communication with us is a precious gift. Frank Buchman strongly believed that God’s wisdom was available to everyone, including our leaders. And he did not make the question of faith in God into a wall between himself and those who did not believe in God or those whose faith was very different from his own. The history of MRA/IofC has taught us the precious value of our conscience and the whisper of the still small voice in our hearts.
We live in a noisy world, where our minds have become battlegrounds. Many forces want to get control over our thinking and emotions. We try to defend ourselves and find peaceful corners in our busy lives. For me it is about finding a quiet spot and time to gain divine insight on my life and the world.
In the case of Frank Buchman, I sense that his need to seek God’s guidance primarily grew with an outward-looking mission, that of helping others find a liberation from the wrongs and burdens that tied them down. He talked about God’s guidance coming as illumination, insight, an arresting tick or a hunch. Sometimes his discernment turned out to be very accurate, helping people find a new direction for their lives.
I heard about God’s guidance before I got to know MRA. Brother Andrew’s stories about smuggling Bibles through the Iron Curtain and meeting with Christians in secrecy showed how God can lead people in dangerous situations. And Edward Howell’s story of how he escaped from a German prison hospital in Greece during the Second World War is exciting. He felt God giving him quite detailed thoughts on how to get out of the prison at the right time, who to talk to, who to avoid and where to seek help in the weeks that followed. In the end he reached Turkey and freedom.
However, I would like to turn to what is most on my mind. How can our leaders, locally, nationally and on the international stage find God’s wisdom at this hour when the world seems on the brink of dangerous escalations of war and environmental breakdown? Leaders with burning hatred, leaders who have built their power on lies and deceit, and whose words and actions fuel the flames, seem to have taken centre stage. Other leaders seem to have lost their bearings and are swept along. Questions of right and wrong are second to attaining power and success. Some well-meaning leaders try as best as they can to build a minimum of stability.
Frank Buchman cared about those in leadership and wanted those around him to become involved as well. He cared about people in all kinds of leadership, but let me focus on political leaders here. They needed, and need, true, sincere friends! And he believed that God could give them insight and illumination on how to lead constructively. Boobbyer’s conclusion is that “Buchman probably had a natural instinct for politics; otherwise, it is hard to comprehend his influence in the political arena.” (page 135 “The Spiritual Vision of Frank Buchman.”).
“Men must choose to be governed by God, or they condemn themselves to be ruled by tyrants.” He often used this quote from the Quaker statesman William Penn, founder of the State of Pennsylvania in the USA.
To be governed by God? This may not be our natural choice of words today, but it showed how deeply concerned Buchman was. He strongly believed that the mindset and quality of our lives affected the kind of leaders we get.
Moving into the world of politics with the message of MRA can be likened to choosing a path full of stumbling blocks, treacherous holes hidden by beautiful moss and slippery stones making you fall. You need commitment and stamina, and to tread carefully. You will be attacked. A moral and spiritual challenge to all political camps does not go down well with everyone. Some want to take advantage of it when it can be used against their opponents, but are less happy when their own camp comes under scrutiny.
Frank Buchman: A life by Garth Lean gives fascinating accounts of how he and his team reached out to political leaders and their nations. Much of his work in the years before the outbreak of the Second World War was directed at leaders in European countries. He and others sensed what might be coming. However, it was in the years after the tragic war that his and MRA’s outreach to those in leadership had most impact, may be especially in Asia, Africa and Europe. The reconciliation between France and Germany, which benefitted my generation born after the war, did not come easy. I was deeply moved reading the chapter about Adenauer and Schuman in Garth Lean’s book. On 25th October 1949 Robert Schuman, France’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, and Frank Buchman had dinner together. In the course of the conversation Schuman said: “I know the problems and mentality of both countries. I have known for a long time that I have a big part in ending the hatred between us.”
Ending the hatred?! At this present time the world is inflamed by this disease. But that was his sense of calling! Are there leaders now in different parts of the world with that aim and sincere motivation? Do they get the support of true friends to stay strong amid all the pressures?
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