On Relational Leadership

Relational leadership is a relatively recent term in leadership literature. For that reason, I think it is important to take some time to explore not only the meaning of such a term, but also the implications of its understanding. The idea that I have found the most helpful is the one presented by Komives, Lucas, and McMahon in “The relational leadership model.” For the authors, leadership is more than a theory, it’s a philosophy on how we engage and relate with people to provoke change. Thereby, relational leadership becomes a framework that reflects how the organization’s or community’s purpose influences the ideas of being inclusive, empowering and ethical. In other words, relational leadership includes others by empowering them to use their gifts in order to bring change that benefits and transforms their community, organization, or environment for the common good.

Corruption all the Way Trhough

During the last two months we have experienced an awakening in Guatemala. People who have stayed quite against all the structural sin and corruption have lift their voices and have spoken against corrupt government officials. Different sectors of Guatemalan society have come together with a common goal, find a way to cleanse the government and Guatemalan society of corruption. I think, however, that there are things that run deeper and thicker than blood in Guatemala. The fraudulent conduct by those in power is not something that happens just in the government. It occurs in all spheres of society starting from within our families, moving up to our neighbourhood, and liking all the way through all the different values and belief systems that rule our city.

One of the examples that I have the closest to me is through the work I do in impoverished communities in Guatemala City. I have spent a several years working with the people who live in the informal settlements of zone 3, Guatemala City. In the last few years I have come to see corruption in a whole different level because it happens in a way that is dressed up as righteousness.

Corrupción y Más

En estas últimas semanas muchos hemos visto como nuestros gobernantes se limpian el arco del triunfo con el pueblo. Una vez más, nos dan atol con el dedo y gustosamente lo recibimos. Después de ver las maniobras asquerosas que estos mordidos hacen, no me queda más que recurrir a la fe. ¿Pero qué tipo de fe es la que puede sostenernos a los guatemaltecos en medio de tantos cagadales propios y ajenos? ¿Qué tipo de espiritualidad nos sostendrá cuando se nos caiga el cielo, si es que existe tal cosa?

One step forward, two steps back

Some of the wonderful people I gathered in Minneapolis with, from left to right: Valery Vital-Herne (Haiti), Angie Gier (India), me (Guatemala), Gideon Ochieng (Kenya)

A couple weeks ago I had the opportunity to meet some friends in Minneapolis Minnesota. We spent a few days together dreaming on what a training curriculum could look like across cultures and countries. All of the conversations we had took us to a place where we could see that the starting point had to be on the perspectives, methods, message, and manners we use for training. As we discovered this process we came to realize that the foundation for the method, message, and manners is the perspectives that we hold as trainers. In words of Simon Sinek, It doesn’t matter “what” we do, and “how” we do it if “why” we do it is not clear. For that reason, we spent a number of hours just talking and discerning on why we do things. I think that we got really close to the why, and I would summarise it this way: In everything we do we challenge the structures of power that reign over our cities, because we believe the transformation of urban centres comes from below, and above simultaneously, in abundance, and peacemaking.

During the conversations we had I was asked to share some of the best practices we have in Guatemala in regards of working out of Abundance. It was really hard for me because the temptation I had was to brag about the good things we do, and to tell a story of how abundantly we see our city. Interestingly, as I was preparing to share in front of my colleagues, I could not think of great successful stories of abundance. I found myself in a place where I could not fake it. I had to be real, and I ended sharing how I had fallen prey of the myth of scarcity, and how I acted out of a scarce mentality very recently.

Before I share with you the story I shared with my friends in Minneapolis, it is important that I share with you how I understand abundance, and scarcity. To me, the myth of scarcity is based on the zero-sum theory that says that somebody’s gain is someone else’s loss. Whereas, abundance is the social, and spiritual reality that says: there is enough for all.

About two months ago before I gathered with all these wonderful people in Minneapolis, I

Giving the grants to some of the leaders we serve.

was in a situation where I didn’t receive the full amount of a donation that had been offered to the organization that I work for. This donation was coming from an anonymous donor who went through a partnering foundation to give away money for brick and mortar projects. As the Director of Leadership Development for the organization that I work for, I was the one managing the grant writing process from the organizations that we serve in Guatemala city. (To learn more about the project you can read this post). After leading the organizations that applied for the constructions grants, and realizing that the money was not “enough” I defaulted in to a mentality of scarcity. I immediately started thinking that there is not enough, thereby, I put policies and rules for the distribution of the funds we did have. In addition, I didn’t steward the resources we had, I controlled the money and the organizations that applied to the process. Thankfully, I work with very gracious people who called me back to abundance. My coworkers asked me: “do you realize that you are acting out of a mentality of scarcity?” to what I first answer denying the possibility of acting out of scarcity. But, slowly I came to realize that I was actually acting out of the myth that says that there is not enough for all; the myth that says that I need to control the few resources I have.

I had forgotten that we have the ability to create more resources than what we have in front of us. I forgot that our biggest resource is having each other as partners in this world. I forgot that the best resource in the face of the myth scarcity is humanity. Thankfully, my coworkers and mentors reminded me of the things I had ignored. In the end, I was reminded that there is enough for all. The problem is that I have to deal with the consequences of thinking, and acting out of scarcity. I have to abide by the policies that I put in place for the control of the resources. If I only would have payed attention to the abundance, and innovation that comes with believing that there is enough for all I would not have freaked out, and tried to save the world.

The problem at the core of my acts was that i wanted to give more funds than what I had promised. If would have stick with my word I would not have found myself trying to give more than I said I would. Thankfully, I didn’t verbally promise to give more to the organizations that applied to the grants. It was just a matter of me wanting to feel good, and surprise the organizational leaders with more than what they asked for. I can say that even the good intention I had was out of scarcity. I cannot say that I learned my lesson, because I haven’t had another opportunity to act out of abundance in a project of this size yet. One thing for sure is that I am in the process of learning to act out of abundance, not only teach about the concept of abundance.

A Trip to the Dominican Republic: Day 3

Today was a really long yet productive and exciting day. I started teaching at 8:30 am and finished at 4:00 pm. The leaders who attended the conversation came all over Santo Domingo, and it was quite a gift to have all of their voices as a part of this dialogue. As I mentioned yesterday, we were trying to address, as best as we could, what it means to be human in the midst of the fall. We are trying to understand how to see God’s image in man’s dust. As you can imagine, this a is a very challenging conversation, especially because it touches the foundations of our theology. I think, however, it gets a bit more complicated when we try to address this topic on a 95 degree weather with no A/C, especially when part of the conversation goes with comparing the Babylonian Enuma Elish, and the Biblical stories of the creation of the universe and humanity. I still don’t know how I did it, but it happened to be an amazing conversation with leaders who have not had access to higher theological education. We had a great time working in small groups, conversing with the bigger group, and challenging our ideas of God. After I was done teaching, I was exhausted. Hours of continuous teaching can be draining.

After finishing the training, I was invited to visit a church where another good friend is a

The Pig

pastor. Francis Montas, pastors a church called “Casa Joven”. Francis has also been a part of the previous conversations that the Center for Transforming Mission has developed in the Dominican Republic. But, before I keep going, while I was on my way to visit Casa Joven, I saw something that my CTM colleague and friend Mario told my it was a truly Dominican sight. See the pig?

My friend Francis

Anyway, as I was saying about Casa Joven and Francis, it is interesting to me how the trainings we deliver and the conversations we engage leaders in have taken Francis on quite a journey. Casa Joven, has a vision to se transformation in the community where they are. It is not an easy place. There is a strip-joint kitty corner from the church, a couple bars across the street and a group sex-workers that have taken the street where the church is on as their headquarters. Francis shared with me that all of the people who work on the street where the church is at are part of the congregation. What happens is that they don’t necessarily attend the church on Sundays. Casa Joven, under Francis and his wife Loly’s leadership, has plans to open a couple businesses with social orientation to provide work for the community’s members, and also to make Casa Joven a sustainable community based church.

Today was a good day, and I am glad for what I experienced.

A Trip to the Dominican Republic: Days 1-2

On Wednesday this week I embarked on a journey, an experience that is taking to a part of the world where I have never been. On the 3rd of April I arrived to Aeropuerto Internacional de las Americas in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. And, to be honest it was not what I was expecting. I thought that it was going to be a bit less humid. As soon as I got of the plain the 90 degree weather and the high humidity hit my Guatemalan higher-altitude-blood and I was immediately in a lethargic stage. Thankfully, after a few days in the DR now, I am more used to the heat, and with a clearer mind. It has been a wonderful experience so far. The warmth of the Dominican people and their relaxed lifestyle have welcomed me with open arms.

Maria Laura, from CONANI

As some of you might now. My work is to develop conversations that challenge the perspective of leaders who work in high-risk communities. The conversations are designed to help leaders reflect in the “why” and “how” of “what” they do. On the day after my arrival to the DR I got the opportunity to visit a preschool (no picture available for respect to the kids and teachers). This place is run by an organization called CONANI by its initials in Spanish. Maria Laura is the psychologist of this school and works tirelessly with kids from 1 to 4 years old. Maria Laura has been a part of the conversations that we, the Center for Transforming Mission (CTM), have developed in the Dominican Republic for the last five years. Maria Laura shared with me that these conversations have changed the way she works with little children. Now she understands that she works not only with the Children, but with their families and the community as a whole. She works not only for the children, but with the children’s families for the welfare of the community.

On my second day I got to record four radio programs with Mario, my CTM colleague. we recorded at the Transworld Radio, which has quite a broad audience from what I know. We shared our perspectives on family and how the idea of an ideal family system has been one of the biggest tragedies of our societies in the Caribbean and Central America. I say a tragedy, because in thinking that there is a perfection to achieve we put an unfair burden on our families. It is a tragedy that we focus more on what we look like outside our houses that in raising families with values.

To finish my second day, We started a new conversation with leaders who work in marginalized communities in the Dominican Republic. The conversation is called “the image is everything” and we are trying to explore what it means to be human. We will try to explore what it means to bear God’s image and likeness in the midst of the fall, because the way we see the creation of humanity affects the way we see the event of the cross. I am very excited about this conversation. I really want tomorrow to start so I can see where this dialogue will take us. I hope and pray, that God shows up in our midst and blesses us with a better understanding of our humanity.

On Shame

Every tuesday my wife and I hang out with some middle-schoolers in an international school in Guatemala City. The idea is just to give the kids a space to be open and safe. We always start our time sharing the highs and lows of our weeks. A couple weeks ago one of the kids wanted to share something, but then retracted. He didn’t want to share anymore because he was to ashamed of what happened, to what my wife said, “what can be that bad?”. After a while sharing our stories the kid decided to share his story. What happened was that during the first classes of the day he needed to take a poop. He went to the bathroom did his business and then went back to the classroom. By the end of the school day, he realized that some of the poop had fell in his pants and had been walking around with poop in his pants the whole day. Then, he said, “I think my science teacher smelled it. I asked him a question, he came to my desk and answered really quick and left almost immediately.” After the kid told us his story my wife said, “ugh… that is a bad story. Joel, why don’t you tell the story when you pooped your pants.” I was like, “really? do you want me to tell it? sure, why not?” And then I proceeded to tell the story, especially because I was the same age as the kid when it happened to me. When I finished telling the story the kids who were with us laughed really hard, and the kid who had spent the day with poop in his pants just said, “that is actually worse that what happened to me.”

A very important part of the process that I have undergone in the last couple years is learning to laugh at myself. I have to keep learning to laugh at myself when I listen to my story and others’ stories. A while ago I had the privilege to have conversation with the Catholic theologian James Alison and Kris Rocke, the Director of The Center for Transforming Mission, in Tacoma, WA. During the conversation we had, Alison told us a little bit about the context where he serves. James Alison lives in Sao Paulo, Brazil, in one of the red light districts of the city.

As the conversation went on Alison told us that there is a lot of gay and lesbian kids who gather just down the street of his apartment complex.[1] At some point during the conversation Kris asked Alison, “Do you do any pastoral care with these kids?” Alison’s response was amazing. “In reality, what I do is just let them laugh at me. I wear a pair of really tight leather boots and go out to the street to hang out with them, because the gospel, the incarnation calls me to inhabit with them in the place of shame so they can be shameless.” When Alison said that, I didn’t know how to react. For a moment I had to excuse my self of the conversation because I could not hold my laugh any longer. The way he depicted himself was ludicrous, a 6’2’ British gentleman wearing a pair of tight leather boots, and the seriousness of his theological statement did not fit my understanding of theology and humor.

According to Alison, the power of the Gospel is: “That God occupied the place of the cast out one, of the rejected one, of the condemned one so as to show how God’s goodness and God’s creative power and God’s ability to harmonize different realities in a peaceful order has little or nothing to do with the “wise”, the “powerful” and the “righteous” of our world.”[2] It is in that place of shame that Jesus was willing to make a fool of him for the sake of humanity. In June 2010 my friend, Kris Rocke, brought to my attention an ancient inscription. It is called the “Alexamenos Graffito,” which is probably the earliest depiction of Jesus that has been ever found. The graffiti is a picture of a man, Alexamenos, worshiping a crucifix. The fact that captivates me the most about this inscription is that the man on the cross has the head of an ass. The inscription underneath the picture translates: “Alexamenos worships his God.”

Even thought this depiction of early Christianity is trying to discredit the Christian faith, it sums up what the Gospel is beautifully, in Rocke’s words, “God’s willingness to play the ass is what makes Christianity… well, Christian.” I think, that God’s willingness to make a fool of God’s self is a beautiful image. So, why not to make a fool of myself to take the shame of the kids I work with? Why not to let them laugh at me in order to deflect the shame some of them have because of who they feel attracted sexually? I know that the story I shared earlier might seem ludicrous, but what if that place of shame is in the life of kids who suffer abuse and live in the “low places” of society? How do I take the shame of something that is not mine? This process of learning to laugh at myself, of moving from haughtiness and perfection to humor and imperfection has become very important in the process of doing theology within the urban context, especially among vulnerable populations. I cannot say that I have learned my lesson and that I am willing to laugh at myself all the time. Nevertheless, the process of understanding God’s sense of humor is a journey that I am willing to embark on even if it means to make a fool of myself.

[1] James Alison, “From Impossibility to Responsibility: Developing New Narratives for Gay Catholic Living,” James Alison Theology [home page on-line]; available from http://www.jamesalison.co.uk/texts/eng63.html;
[2] Ibid., 6