Going It Alone

Recently I was reading in Ecclesiastes and was reminded of one of the greatest challenges of leadership… aloneness. For many of us aloneness is a fact of ministry… we are solo pastors in a small church. For others of us aloneness is a choice… a variety of life lessons have convinced us that being alone is better than being in relationships. Both scenarios can be dangerous for our leadership. The writer of Ecclesiastes expresses it this way in Chapter 4:9-10:

Two are better than one,
because they have a good return for their work:
If one falls down,
his friend can help him up.
But pity the man who falls
and has no one to help him up!

I am sure you have seen this letter that comes from the archives of an insurance company. It is a brilliant example of Ecclesiastes 4:9-10.

To Whom it May Concern:

I am writing in response to your request for additional information. In block #3 of the accident form, I put “trying to do the job alone” as the cause of my accident. You said in your letter that I should explain more fully, and I trust that the following details will be sufficient.

I am a bricklayer by trade. On the date of the accident I was working alone on the roof of a new six story building. When I completed my work, I found that I had about 500 pounds of brick left over. Rather than carry the bricks down by hand, I decided to lower them in a barrel by using a pulley which, fortunately, was attached to the side of the building at the 6th floor. Securing the rope at ground level, I went up to the roof, swung the barrel out, and loaded the bricks into it. Then I went back to the ground and untied the rope, holding it tightly to insure a slow descent of the 500 pounds of brick. You will note in block #11 of the accident report that I weigh 135 pounds. The surprise at being jerked off the ground so suddenly caused me to lose my presence of mind and I forgot to let go of the rope. Needless to say, I proceeded at a rather rapid rate up the side of the building. In the vicinity of the third floor, I met the barrel coming down. This explains the fractured skull, and broken collar bone. Slowed only slightly, I continued my rapid ascent, not stopping until the fingers of my right hand were 2 knuckles deep into the pulley. Fortunately, by this time, I had regained my presence of mind, and was able to hold tightly to the rope, in spite of my pain. At approximately the same time, however, the barrel of bricks hit the ground, and the bottom fell out of the barrel. Devoid of the weight of the bricks, the barrel then weighed approximately 50 pounds. I refer you again to my weight in block #11. As you might imagine, I began a rapid descent down the side of the building. In the vicinity of the third floor, I met the barrel coming up. This accounts for the two fractured ankles, and the lacerations of my legs, and lower body area. The encounter with the barrel slowed me enough to lessen my injuries when I fell onto the pile of bricks, and fortunately only three vertebrae were cracked. I am sorry to report, however, that as I lay there on the bricks, in pain… unable to stand… and watching the empty barrel six stories above me… I again lost my presence of mind and let go of the rope. The empty barrel weighed more than the rope, so it came back down on me, and broke both my legs.

I hope I have furnished the information you have required.

If you’re anything like me, you know very well the dangers of tackling construction projects alone! (I could show you some interesting scars!) Did you know that you and I are on a spiritual “construction site”… it’s called God’s Church. The tragedy is that too many of us think we are working alone. I am writing today to remind you that we are a team on a journey together and you are never alone. I know there are seasons when we all feel alone, however, long-term aloneness is a choice. As gently as I can, I want to invite all of us (me included) to make sure we are pressing away from aloneness in a way that honors our personality, enhances our growth journey, meets our emotional needs, and makes us a more effective leader.

Dan Scarrow

District Superintendent
North Central District of The C&MA