Like neuroscientists searching for the grandma cell, when we look at the world outside of our brain, we naturally seek order. We look for hierarchy all around us. Whether we’re looking at a Fortune 500 company, an army, or a community, our natural reaction is to ask, “Who’s in charge?”

This book is about what happens when there’s no one in charge. It’s about what happens when there’s no hierarchy. You’d think there would be disorder, even chaos. But in many arenas, a lack of traditional leadership is giving rise to powerful groups that are turning industry and society upside down.

In short, there’s a revolution raging all around us.

No one suspected that Shawn Fanning, sitting in his dorm room at Northeastern University in 1999, was about to change the world. The eighteen-year-old freshman typed at his computer and wondered what would happen if people could share music files with one another. Fanning came up with Napster, an idea that would deliver a crushing blow tot he recording industry. But he wasn’t at the head of this attack - the entire battle was waged by an army of music-sharing teens, college students, and eventually, iPod-carrying businessmen.

Half a world away, when Osama bin Laden left Saudi Arabia and traveled to Afghanistan, hardly anyone realized that in just a few years he would become the most wanted man in the world. At that time, his power appeared limited. After all, what could a man operating out of a cave really do? But al Qaeda became powerful because bin Laden never took a traditional leadership role.

In 1995 a shy engineer posted online listings of upcoming events in the San Francisco Bay Area. Craig Newmark never dreamed that the site he launched would forever alter the newspaper industry. In 2001 a retired options trader set out t provide reference materials to kids around the world. He never thought that his efforts would one day allow millions of strangers to use something called a “wiki” to create the biggest information depository of our time.

The blows to the recording industry, the attacks of 9/11, and the success of online classifieds and a collaborative encyclopedia were all driven by the same hidden force. The harder you fight this force, the stronger it gets. The more chaotic it seems, the more resilient it is. The more you try to control it, the more unpredictable it becomes.

Decentralization has been lying dormant for thousands of years. But the advent of the Internet has unleashed this force, knocking down traditional businesses, altering entire industries, affecting how we relate to each other, and influencing world politics. The absence of structure, leadership, and formal organization, once considered a weakness, has become a major asset. Seemingly chaotic groups have challenged and defeated established institutions. The rules of the game have changed.

Interesting thoughts, to say the least. I’m, at this point, neither sure of the extent to which “leaderless” is stretched and/or assumed by the authors, nor am I totally ready to jump onto the Starfish bandwagon. I am interested in reading more of this book and I’m prepared to wrestle with the implications this sort of thinking could have on the community we are growing in our city. Our community already reflects a bit of this, but, without reading the book as of yet, I’m betting we would fit into chapter seven: The Combo Special: The Hybrid Organization. When I get to chapter seven, I’ll know for sure.

I know this much: This is one of the most intriguing books I have picked up in some time… for the simple reason that I - and many others - have already been saying something to the effect.

Beckstrom, Rod, and Ori Brafman. The Starfish and the Spider: The Unstoppable Power of Leaderless Organizations. Ottawa: Portfolio Hardcover, 2006.

Not The Religious Type: Confessions of a Turncoat Atheist is the story of an atheist who did not so much convert to Christianity, but rather embraced Jesus Christ as Savior in deep relationship. “Is there a difference between the two,” you ask? Yes, there is a huge difference, according to Schmelzer. Relationship and all of its rich potential is the big idea of this book, from the start. Relationship, not religion, is what soul longs for, universally. In fact, this not-so-subtle emphasis bridges the proverbial gap presently existing between secularized, postmodern, highly educated people and a life honestly lived in unison with Christ. And if Schmelzer’s church in Boston - which is full of Harvard and MIT and Boston University and Tufts deans and faculty and postdocs as well as construction workers and stay-at-home moms and social workers and cooks - is any indication, then he is obviously onto something ridiculously simple, yet revolutionary.

Not The Religious Type reads like a personal memoir. It’s as enlightening and informative as it is enjoyable and easy to read. More than a few of the stories Schmelzer offers have been noted, highlighted, underlined, and circled for future reference. They will be turned to regularly as more and more friends and neighbors ask the big questions and subsequently search for answers upon which they can authentically build a foundation for an expression of faith that actually makes sense in the present context and world.

One of the most profound sections of the book (and there are many!) dealt with the idea/concept of “Bounded Sets,” and the effect that our uncritical living within these sets has upon almost everything we do - especially our relationships with one another and God. Schmelzer, for example, writes the following

Bounded sets - the circles in this analogy - are religions or cultures. With religion or culture, you’re either inside it or outside it. No gray are here. Now many religions or cultures are benevolent toward those on the outside. They might say something to the effect of, “Hey you outsider. Why don’t you jump into our bounded set? It’s awesome in here! And, as the godly religion/culture, you’ll get the chance to be much closer to God than you are at the moment. Yes, there may be a trifling cultural thing or two you’ll need to do to accommodate to us, the godly religion/culture. Being a good Illinois Baptist is, after all, a little different than being a good Bengali Muslim, whoa re we kidding? But we’d love to have you!

The thing is: Most people don’t want a new bounded set. They like theirs just fine. They’ve spent years getting to know it; they’re comfortable with it. And for the most part, bounded sets tend to preach to the choir rather than to outsiders.

Think about this in political terms for a moment. Let’s say you’re the sort of person who reads the New York Times editorial page. Pretty much every correspondent there loathes conservatives and wonders who these idiots are. One of my favorite Boston Globe editorial page moments (The Globe is a subsidiary of the Times) came a few years back in response to one of many editorials ripping George W. Bush, particularly viciously in this case. The next day the paper printed three of four letters, all of which has a common point: You, the editorial writers of the Globe, are horrible awful people! Why? Because you didn’t rip into Mr. Bush nearly enough! You call that ripping him? You should be ashamed of yourselves!

Now let’s say you’re a conservative reader from a conservative family who stumbles upon this editorial page. What are the odds that you’ll read one of these contemptuously anticonservative editorials and think to yourself, Oh my gosh! They’re right! I’m an utter fool (and, goodness, a bigot, to boot)! Who knew? And it’s not only me! My family and everyone I’ve ever known and loved are fools and bigots! Thank you, Globe editorial page, for opening my eyes!

Or let’s say you’re a committed Eastern liberal who turns on any one of a hundred conservative talk radio programs. What are the odds that you’ll experience that conversation in reverse?

The point: Bounded sets preach to other true believers, for the most part. They tend to preach over and against those infidels who aren’t a part of their bounded set.And bounded sets often throw a fair number of nonessentials into what it means to be in their set.

Again, this little blurb about “bounded sets” is worth the price of the book, especially if one considers how the church sometimes acts as a bounded set, locally, and how her members should really wrestle with the idea that such an act maybe totally removed from the Gospel of Jesus Christ - or even detrimental to the Kingdom of God (Ephesians 2:11-22).

Not The Religious Type is full of informative and enlightening remarks like the one above concerning bounded sets. If you have at all struggled or deeply investigated your own faith, you will experience more than a few “AHA!” moments while you read this enjoyable little. Also, do not lose sight of the fact that this book is all about relationships. Relationships not religion is the big idea. Religion will not work. Only relationships - deep relationships shared with one another and with God - will do! This book is all about the relationship. I highly recommend reading it.

Also note the following: If you mistakenly think - even for one moment - Not The Religious Type advances a faith expression void of joy-laden emotion or supernatural moves of God you had better think again! The beauty of this little book emanates from the focus upon deep relationship and the very real potential and surprise that a deep relationship with God can produce! Consider a few of the author’s “Napkin Stories,” for example (”Napkin Stories” is the name Schmelzer gives to the stories people he is regularly involved with have written down on napkin-sized pieces of paper):

I asked God to give my brother (who was unemployed for two years) a job and for my parents to find some kind of happiness after a terrible car accident that happened in 2003. After six weeks of prayer, in the same week my brother got a job, I got a job, and my parents bought a new house - a sign from God that despite trials and tribulations, he still has enormous blessings awaiting us.

I found out that my aunt and uncle’s marriage was unraveling due to an affair. I fasted and prayed for them. After thirty-eight days, I was contacted by my uncle. He was about to sign a lease on an apartment to move in with his lover. before he could sign, he felt an almost audible voice in his head say, ‘Stop.’ He went back to my aunt and started to see how their marriage could be saved. She found a way to forgive him.

Again, I highly recommend this book to all of you who have big questions and a deep desire to share a relationship with God and friends and neighbors. No, this book is not a quick fix, but it is a good beginning. It’s a proper launch into the incredible and surprising world of faith, hope and love. You’ll have to live there on your own, but it’s really nice to have a bit of instruction for the journey too. Not The Religious Type is a bit of instruction.

Schmelzer, Dave. Not the Religious Type: Confessions of a Turncoat Atheist. Carol Stream, Illinois: Saltriver, 2008.

One can’t help but to wonder, however, if the big idea of this book is a bit - just a bit - overstated. Sure, the emotional intelligence of a leader can/will affect an organization. This much is brutally obvious (just ask anyone who works in an environment led by an emotionally belligerent tyrant!). Sure, an organization could positively benefit from a leader who energetically drives the group’s emotions in a beneficial direction. It has to be said, however, that more than a few energetic and positive leaders have driven their organizations into the proverbial ditch … and let it languish and die down there. Energy and positive vibes are simply not enough! Leadership requires emotional intelligence … and then some. Strong leadership requires a much broader skills set. High energy and good vibes are simply not enough for good leadership. The authors of Primal Leadership so far have not suggested that mere energy and good vibes are enough either, but the casual reader may walk away from this read thinking that is all that is required of them. Readers should be sure to remind themselves that emotional intelligence is but one component - albeit an incredibly important one - of holistic leadership.

The above word of caution aside, Primal Leadership indeed offers readers a very, very solid introduction to the role of emotional intelligence in leadership. The authors suggest that “The emotional task of the leader is primal - that is, first - in two senses; It is both the original and the most important act of leadership” (5). It may seem odd, initially, to even admit that leadership requires an emotional task and/or responsibility, but it really does. Consider, for a moment, when an immediate response is required from the nation’s leadership during times of deep national need. Those times require decisive, informed decision making and an ability to not only connect with national emotion, but also move it forward in a constructive manner. Leaders who can do both successfully lead; leaders who can do neither are not followed.

The most interesting aspects of the first few chapters of this book revolve around the conceptual effects of “resonance” and “dissonance” in emotional leadership.

Resonance is the term the authors use to identify the positive effect of emotional leadership. Resonance happens when leadership brings out the best in everyone. The flip side of “resonance” is “dissonance.” Dissonance happens when a leader drives emotions into a negative space, thus undermining the emotional foundations that the organization requires for successful individual performance. The authors suggest that an organization’s future depends largely upon his/her ability to act within this primal dimension. The following excerpt lifted from pages 3-4 succinctly summarizes the strong argument/point:

Consider, for example, a pivotal moment in a news division at the BBC, the British media giant. The division had been set up as an experiment, and while its 200 or so journalists and editors felt they had given their best, management has decided the division would have to close.

It didn’t help that the executive sent to deliver the decision tot he assembled staff started off with a glowing account of how well rival operations were doing, and that he had just returned from a wonderful trip to Cannes. The news itself was bad enough, but the brusque, even contentious manner of the executive incited something beyond the expected frustration. People became enraged - not just at the management decision, but also at the bearer of the news himself. The atmosphere became so threatening, in fact, that it looked as though the executive might have to call security to usher him safely from the room.

Clearly, that is an example of dissonance. It was entirely unhelpful and made a bad organizational moment worse than it really had to be. This executive’s emotional leadership - or lack thereof - escalated the situation and resulted in his complete inability to lead. He was left dealing with pure reaction. Happily, the situation did not end on such a sour and misguided note. The story continues…

The next day, another executive visited the same staff. He took a very different approach. He spoke from the heart about the crucial importance of journalism tot he vibrancy of a society, and of the calling that had drawn them all tot he field in the first place. He reminded them that no one goes into journalism to get rich - as a profession its finances have always been marginal, with job security ebbing and flowing with larger economic tides. And he invoked the passion, even the dedication, the journalists had for the service they offered. Finally, he wished them all well in getting on with their careers. When this leader finished speaking, the staff cheered.

Again, it’s clear that this executive led in a way that resulted in resonance. He brought out the very best in everyone during a moment of increased organizational tension and straight up stress compounded by the additional negative experiences wielded by the misguided executive who spoke one day earlier. This is leadership. It should be obvious by the crowd following…

Those of us at the helm of organizations would do well to consider the role of emotional intelligence in leadership. Primal Leadership is a good place to start, and thus far the first three chapters have been very informative and enlightening. There is no reason to believe that the rest of this book will be anything but helpful to leaders everywhere. We all want to lead successfully…

Boyatzis, Richard E., Daniel Goleman, and Annie Mckee. Primal Leadership: Learning to Lead with Emotional Intelligence. New York: Harvard Business School Press, 2004.

What do Jesus Christ and the Christian Faith mean to you? How does your faith affect the way you live?

Jesus Christ is my Lord and my Savior. It is in him that I invest an allegiance which I must follow. It is in his Kingdom that I live, dwell, and find hope. Jesus of Nazareth is the way, truth, and life. This confession affects the way I live in very practical fashion. This Kingdom Jesus preached, died for, and called me into requires me to live and act like Jesus. This is challenging. Far too many of us understand Jesus and his Kingdom in terms of “rescue.” Jesus’ Kingdom indeed rescues, but it also challenges. If we reach out for the personal rescue, then we must accept the coming challenge too. What is this challenge? It is the cross. The cross is simply this: “Do not compromise the values of this kingdom in spite of the seemingly insurmountable social, political, and religious odds stacked against you. Trust God.” My faith in Jesus Christ affects how I live in relation to my neighbors, government, and religious power brokers. It is quite challenging and will keep me busy until I take my last breath in this realm.

Explain the role of the Christian community in your life. Describe your involvement in the church you attend.

The Christian community’s role in my life is an important one. Community – authentic community – is the point of the church. It is only in the context of community that scripture can be enacted, neighbors can become neighbors, and the poor can be served. The community is the point. Community is not an afterthought or by product of the faith, it is a reflection of the Trinitarian foundation of the faith itself. God is community, as much as God is love. The church does not exist apart from this basic yet revolutionary theological truth.

Christian community also includes those who have been ostracized or maltreated or exploited by social, political, and religious power brokers and the societal norms. We are called to a different community standard, according to the Gospel of the Kingdom. The poor, downtrodden, and weakest in our midst should be invited into our community, and healed. Our community standard is founded upon the values of Jesus.  So our mantra rings, “For the least of these…”

This community focus is a priority in all I do. Presently, I am planting a church in Lancaster City that focuses almost entirely upon incarnation expressions of Gospel-centered communities. It is not an afterthought, or gimmick; it is the very foundation of the church we are planting. My team and I are 100% dedicated to incarnational expressions of community. I, as the lead pastor/church planter, would have it no other way. It’s what we are called to do.

Please summarize your understanding of the Biblical call to non-violence, to love others, and to peacemaking, and your personal response to that call. What are your beliefs about military training and participation in war?

A follower of Jesus Christ is called to a life of non-violence, compassion, and peacemaking. The Sermon on the Mount was not a clever speech or ideological whim. Jesus meant every word he spoke. His lived life validates his spoken words. Jesus’ example and words leave no room for anything but non-violent solutions for conflict that lead towards peace. The whole of the New Testament confirms this basic theological truth. Jesus Christ is not a just war theorist; he is a peacemaker, in life and in death, if need be.

As an Anabaptist, my personal response to this scriptural call is one of humble and prayerful compliance. It’s not easy to be the peacemaker that Jesus of Nazareth was, by any stretch of the imagination. It is a cross. It is a cross that each of us must haul. I do not believe that war is ever an answer for anything. I do not believe that violence will solve any conflict. I do believe that participation in the military and war is conducive to the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

I am an Anabaptist. I am dedicated to non-violence and peacemaking.

Write about when you observed racism, sexism or other forms of oppression, or participated in efforts to work against racism, sexism or other forms of oppression. Please elaborate.

I am the product of an interracial marriage. My father is Caucasian/Italian and my mother is Native Mexican Indian/Chamorro. The combination makes me… well, I usually check the “other box” on applications and forms.

My mother and father met in Monterey, California.  My father was in the U.S. Navy when he met and fell in love with my mother, who was still a very young sixteen. She fell in love with my father too and decided to move to Western Pennsylvania and be married to him. Western PA was not kind to my family. Racism was the norm and my entire family was victimized daily by a nearly immovable and incurably ignorant systemic evil. I was harassed daily throughout elementary school by a gang of boys who referred to me by all sorts of incredibly uncreative slurs. My father, in a valiant attempt to help me, went to the school principle and teachers and asked them to stop the daily harassment. They didn’t. Racism was a systemic issue in that part of PA, and those young elementary school boys were learning it from their parents, and their parents and parent’s friends ran the schools, shops, and everything else. It was an awful situation. It is a situation I will never forget.

I thank God for those years, now. I’m not happy that my family and I experienced such ugly and systemic racism; I wish we hadn’t. But I am thankful that God took all those negative and hurtful experiences – that the devil meant for evil – and used them for good. What good could come from such a horrible situation? My expression of the Gospel is characterized by a serious dedication to social justice and fairness and love for those who are different. I’m not entirely sure that my expression of the faith would include such dedication had I not experienced a life void of such basic, human things. I thank God for what he did with the years of racism, ostracism, and abuse I endured because of the pigmentation of my skin.

When I visit home, in Western PA, and walk into a 7-11 or Sheetz gas station, I still get menacing looks from ignorant, prejudiced human beings, but I now have something bigger on my side. I live in a bigger Kingdom wherein justice and compassion triumphs over bigotry and ignorance. I have the Holy Spirit. And in the Holy Spirit, I pray and forgive my brothers and sisters and hope that they too will someday soon be redeemed.

Missouri: Shawn, Just curious what your stance on abortion is.

Shawn: Do I know you? I’m staunchly pro-life …

Missouri: I don’t believe so. I found your blog on the Internet and we have a mutual friend on Facebook - [NAME REMOVED]. I was just reading your site and was curious about what you think about abortion. For example, you support President Elect Obama, and there are many reasons to support him. As a Mennonite I support many of his policies. But I’m curious what others think of abortion and whether it’s wrong and if it is wrong should it influence our ideas in politics. If it isn’t wrong, then obviously it shouldn’t. So I’m just curious.

Missouri: The “I don’t believe so” was in answer to the question “Do I know you?” - not in response to your pro-life position.

Shawn: Good enough, Missouri! It’s nice to ‘meet’ you. Yeah, I’m staunchly pro-life, but I think we should be pro-life in all aspects of living (i.e., from the womb to the tomb). Also, I think that if God gives us the freedom to choose, which he does, then we should not so much try to change the morality of people by taking away their personal ability to choose, but instead minister compassionately to the heart. I think there is a huge difference in approaches. I’m sure it’s not our place to impose restrictions upon others that God himself didn’t/doesn’t impose upon us. Given all of that, Obama became the superior candidate, for me personally, and that’s why he earned my vote. Thanks for the question!

Missouri: Thank you for your answer. The pro-life from the womb to the tomb seems to be Christ-like. And it avoids the legalistic focus on one commandment above another. Your answer does stir up another question. You said “I’m sure it’s not our place to impose restrictions that God himself doesn’t impose upon us.” So God doesn’t impose a restriction with regard to abortion? Or perhaps I misunderstood you. I am REALLY not picking a fight… you can ask [NAME REMOVED]. I just like to ask questions. If you don’t wish to pursue the dialogue or reasoning it won’t hurt my feelings.

Shawn: God restricts murder, but God doesn’t restrict your freedom to choose life over murder, or murder over life. We are free. God would have us commit no such evil acts, but he accomplishes the change in our hearts, not by legal code. Christians would do well to focus their energies upon changing hearts, from the inside, rather than changing outward behavior via legal code. There is also another benefit to such a shift: we can stop electing lousy presidents based upon one issue.

There you have it! I hope that at least helps those who are wondering about my Christian vote for Obama. It’s quite theological, to be honest. You can be a devout follower of Jesus Christ, and vote intelligently for a president without compromising your core convictions - if you honestly understand your own convictions and that upon which they are built. I am staunchly pro-life, and desire that no abortions occur, but I’ll do my part, in tandem with the Holy Spirit, to lead people to the authentic transformation that only can happen in the heart. I’ll leave the legal code to people who enjoy tilting at windmills.

Thoughts?

There are forty-nine other states (and one district) that share the same diverse cultural traits that characterize Pennsylvania. When I was nineteen years old, I hopped on a Greyhound bus and moved to Los Angeles, CA for three and a half years. Needless to say, Los Angeles introduced me to a cultural experience that I would never have realized in my small portion of Western Pennsylvanian farm country. There ethnic diversity alone was astounding. The accompanying religious, social, and political diversity present amplified my already booming cross cultural experience. Truly, Los Angeles was a mosaic that reflected more of the larger world. It had to be…

The cultural diversity beyond America’s boarders is just awesome. The world is a very large place and it is full of color. We would be a better people, would that we actually journey beyond our familiar and immediate confines towards the different people groups and cultures that do exist in our world. It would be a good thing to engage our global diversity, to say the least. I had an opportunity to do just that in January 2006, during my second year of seminary. An important component of Lancaster Theological seminary’s M.Div program requires all students to fulfill a cross-cultural requirement. Our class’ cross cultural requirement was a three and a half week trip to Turkey and Lebanon. There we were immersed in Muslim culture. I am convinced that one cannot honestly begin to understand Muslim culture basically until he/she actually wakes to the sound of the Muslim call to prayer at daybreak. Beyond that surreal experience was the incredibly intimate and meaningful personal interactions I shared with Turkish, Kurdish, and Lebanese brothers and sisters. We also stayed at Near East School of Theology and had the opportunity to interact and converse with Iraqi, Swedish, and German students. It was an awesome and edifying time.

I’m convinced that the Gospel of Jesus of Nazareth is all about cross cultural experiences. We are all missionaries in a foreign land called to honest relationship. We must relate and understand one another to accomplish this and fulfill our call. So, don’t get too comfortable.

Have you considered your own cross cultural experiences? I bet you have had many of them, right there in your own neighborhood. What cross cultural experiences have you had lately?

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