Choosing the Twelve (Part 1)

It’s so hard to choose 12 names to put in the ballot. I don’t even know all of the candidates, especially because I am always working. They don’t put posters in my neighborhood and I rarely watch local channels.

It’s sad really, if you think about it. middle class folk like me, who are supposed to be the agents of change for this nation are too busy with daily life to even care about knowing who the candidates are, and helping to educated the public about these candidates.

For people like us who have the means to reshape our destiny because of our education, because of the opportunities that were given to us, because of our mobility, we can work hard and possibly rise above our frustrations to achieve our dreams.

But what about those who weren’t as fortunate as we are? Who is going to sincerely think about them, after the elections?

So how do we really choose the twelve? Do we judge them by their skills and achievements? Do we judge them by their “hearts”? Do we judge them by intentions?

I wish we can be as wise as Christ when he chose his own 12 Apostles. Come to think of it, Senators and Public Servants…and so were the disciples. And what did the disciples do? What skills did they possess? Each of them had different skills: one was good at finances(tax collector), one was a charismatic speaker (the evangelist), a few were good in drawing in fish, another was a revolutionary. They left everything they had to follow the path that would lead to the salvation of mankind.

Then again I stumbled upon several articles on the internet hinting that the 12 Apostles weren’t exactly management material by today’s standards.


TO:
Jesus, Son of Joseph
Woodcrafter Carpenter Shop
Nazareth

FROM:
Jordan Management Consultants
Jerusalem

Dear Sir:

Thank you for submitting the resumes of the 12 men you have picked for management positions in your new organization. All of them have now taken our battery of tests; we have not only run the results through our computer, but also arranged personal interviews for each of them with our psychologist and vocational aptitude consultant.

It is the staff opinion that most of your nominees are lacking in background, education, and vocational aptitude for the type of enterprise you are undertaking. They do not have the “team" concept. We would recommend that you continue your search for persons of experience in managerial ability and proven capability.

Simon Peter is emotionally unstable and given to fits of temper. Andrew has absolutely no qualities of leadership. The two brothers, James and John, the sons of Zebedee, place personal interest above company loyalty. Thomas demonstrates a questioning attitude that would tend to undermine morale.

We feel that it is our duty to tell you that Matthew has been blacklisted by the Greater Jerusalem Better Business Bureau. James, the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus definitely have radical leanings. They registered a high score on the manic depressive scale.

One of the candidates, however, shows great potential. He is a man of ability and resourcefulness, meets people well, has a keen business mind and has contacts in high places. He is highly motivated, ambitious, and responsible. We recommend Judas Iscariot as your controller and right-hand man. All of the other profiles are self-explanatory.

We wish you every success in your new Venture.

Sincerely yours, Jordan Management Consultants

Even with these limitations, the not-so-favorable-managerial-candidates, or the remaining 12 disciples managed to lead an “organization” that, 2000 years later remains to be the BIGGEST International “Superpower”.

So what makes a leadership candidate viable?