The Vestry retreat was enjoyable, and intense, and we did a lot of study and contemplation about what it means to be “leader servants” — both guiding people, even directing them, but also serving them and their needs. It’s what the Vestry is supposed to be, in model of how Jesus behaved, and said we needed to be to each other.
Which got me to thinking about servants, and what the ideal servant was like, and that got me to thinking about the ideal servant, which suddenly gave me a great, profound, moderately disquieting, yet also rather comforting metaphor that will stay with me for a long time.
We, humanity, are Bertie Wooster. God is Jeeves.
No, really. Bertie thinks he is the superior in the relationship, the master, that he is in charge, is clever and competent to direct his own life. And he’s continuously getting into outrageous trouble because of his pride, his dependency on appearances, his unwillingness to take advice, and just plain circumstance. He’s also more than a bit goofy.
Jeeves is always there, anticipating Bertie’s needs, offering him quiet counsel, letting Bertie know when he disapproves but not stopping Bertie from making an ass of himself, and then pulling said ass from the fire when things go south (to mix my metaphors). Extremely capable and knowledgable, yet a servant.
It is not very edifying to see oneself as a Bertie Wooster. But, if so, it’s nice to know that there will be a Jeeves out there with the hangover remedy before we even ask for it.
(I have no idea if Wodehouse had any intention of producing such a metaphor. But there it is. And if you’ve never read any of the books, or seen the Fry & Laurie TV series, do so. You won’t regret it.)
This isn’t as deep, but, having a slow news week, I wrote a Corporate Fairytale on customer service skills involving the king’s three sons and the humble woodcutter (who isn’t a humble woodcutter, of course). In order to earn the rule of the kingdom, you have to serve the people of the kingdom…
Yuppers.