Tuesday, February 18, 2020

When It's Uncomfortable to Lead

Bryan Stevenson has dedicated his live and energy to helping the poor, the incarcerated and the condemned. He is the leader of a group called Equal Justice, an initiative that especially focuses on underprivileged youth. He has successfully argued several cases in front of the U.S. Supreme Court. His TED talk has been viewed more than three million times.

Bryan's best selling book, Just Mercy reveals much about the conundrum of young black men living in urban areas in America. I highly recommend this book. He was named to Fortune's "2016 World's Greatest Leaders" list.

He delves deep into the issues of why young black youth are so often incarcerated. Millions of youth have spent time behind bars. One in three is expected to go to prison sometime in his life. Without going further into the causes and symptoms of criminality and flaws within the justice system right here, Bryan Stevenson urges Christian volunteers to befriend young men.

He talks about "power in proximity". The answers to problematic behavior can best be solved with relationships. Yes, there needs to be a change in some policies, and yes, fear and anger beset the neighborhood. A legacy of imbalance and wounded pride, a legacy of slavery and violence and racial divides: these are all part of the problem.

Bryan urges a key ingredient in leaders: hope. "Stay hopeful" he says. Leadership can only be successful if words of hope are spoken and understood. Hopelessness is the enemy of justice. Restoring and redemption are powerful words. Don't be afraid to say what others are cautious about speaking.

One of the things that makes him noteworthy is his emphasis on "doing unusual things, uncomfortable things". It takes courage to step out of our comfortable lives and enter the life of another person. We are broken human beings, but we know the power of redemption. Oppose poverty. See scars as models of honor. Thanks Bryan for being a leader in one of the toughest areas of life.  

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