Tower and Town, November 2020

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Clergy Letter

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29:11

Having served in three different boarding schools on two separate continents, I continue to see my chief role in the post as ‘critical friend’ and confessor to the four Headmasters for whom I have worked. That vantage point is unique and certainly a privilege. I know second-hand the trials and tribulations of their job; I can see its loneliness, especially when a tough and unpopular decision has to be made.

Just as in talk about politics, everyone is an expert and everyone can do your job better than you. But only the Headmaster has the complete picture. Too often someone doing the complaining forgets that. Only the Head has the perspective that allows them to make an accurate decision because they can see all the facts and circumstances surrounding a situation.

When I refereed American rules football every fan and player was the worst critic of those penalty calls that had to be made and which only could be made because of our position and perspective on the field of play. If there was a ‘hold’ off the ball, few would see it because they were watching the action. But still my little orange flag had to come out and the penalty call had to be made. Bringing the ball back ten yards from the site of the infraction was often met with protest from the players and ‘boos’ from the fans. We had to stand by our call and enforce the rules, despite their lack of popularity.

It was too often forgotten that rules were there to ensure fair play and a good game, so that truly the best team would win.

I wonder if we don’t second-guess God sometimes in the same way. We too often forget that God has a plan – a plan to give us hope and a future. Our perspective is limited in ways that aren’t for our Creator.

In the Academic world anyone writing a PhD thesis knows that part of the research has to recognise ‘positionality’. Who the candidate is, in terms of their background and even socio-economic situation, needs to be declared so that natural bias can be considered with regards to the findings. So much of what we see is all about who we are. We find what we’re looking for. With a rather glum view of human behaviour, psychologists call this a ‘negativity bias.’

I need to remember this truism the next time I’m inclined to criticise someone in a leadership role or someone who is called upon, routinely, to make a judgement about something. It’s easy with hindsight to make decisions, but the real challenge is being in the middle of the fray and having to make the call.

Although it sometimes doesn’t feel like it, the universe is unfolding as it should and God is ‘carrying out in tranquillity the plan for our salvation.’ We mustn’t ever forget that, especially with a perspective as limited as our own.

Tim Novis