You Are The Face on the Other Side

A shadowed silhouette emerges through soft sunlight in a weathered room, reflecting the mystery of being a distant observer.

A Reflection on Leadership, Community, and the Shadow We Create

Today I want you to look at the face on the other side. I’m talking about the face you see in your leaders. The pastors, the elders, the community leaders, the country leaders, the very people you expect to guide you, protect you, and stand as examples before you. Some of you look at them and say, “I don’t like what I see.”  “This is not who we should be following. This is not what leadership should look like.” 

But hear me: the face on the other side is your shadow. The leader is not separate from the people; the leader is the reflection of the people. The leader reveals the inner life of the community. The leader exposes what the collective heart has allowed, tolerated, admired, or silently desired. The leader is the mirror we didn’t ask for, but the mirror we need to see the truth.

But before we rush to condemn the face on the platform, we must confront a harder truth.

We often imagine leaders as isolated figures—chosen, elevated, and responsible for their own failures.

But Jesus taught something far more uncomfortable. He warned us about blind guides, and yet He also warned the people who followed them. He spoke of wolves in sheep’s clothing, but He also spoke of the flock that admired them, empowered them, and allowed them to lead.

A leader does not rise in a vacuum. A leader grows out of the soil of the people, and that soil always tells the truth. When pride fills the community, pride will appear in its leaders. When fear shapes the people, fear will shape the leadership. When corruption is tolerated among the many, corruption will manifest in the few who rise to the top. The shadow never lies; it simply reveals what has been planted and allowed to grow.

This is why Jesus said, “You will know them by their fruits.”   Fruit is never random. Fruit grows from the ground it’s planted in.

So when we look at our leaders and feel disgust, disappointment, or betrayal, we must ask a deeper question: What does this reveal about us?

Jesus rebuked the Pharisees not only because they were hypocrites, but because the people followed them. The people celebrated them. The people mirrored them. The people loved the show, the appearance, the authority, the performance. And the leaders simply reflected what the people valued.

If the people had loved truth, they would have demanded truth. If the people had loved mercy, they would have lifted up the merciful. If the people had loved righteousness, they would have refused to follow anything less.

The face on the other side, the leader you see is not an accident. It is a revelation. It is the shadow of the house. It is the echo of the people and the fruit of the soil we have watered.

This is why the message is not, “Look at them.”   The message is, “Look at us.”

Because you are what you see. The leader is the mirror. The leader is the reflection. The leader is the shadow of the community’s inner life.

And if you don’t like the face on the other side, then today is the day to begin the work on this side. It is essential to recognize that the journey of self-improvement and personal growth starts from within. To work on yourselves means to engage in a deep and meaningful exploration of your own thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. This process is not merely superficial; it requires a commitment to introspection and honesty. It is about taking a hard look at the aspects of your life that may not align with your values or aspirations.

To cleanse the soil of your own hearts is to remove the negativity, resentment, and unhelpful patterns that may have taken root over time. Just as a gardener tends to their garden, removing weeds and debris that can choke the life out of healthy plants, so too must you tend to your inner landscape. This involves confronting difficult emotions, letting go of past grievances, and forgiving both yourself and others. It is a transformative process that can lead to a more peaceful and fulfilling existence.

Only a transformed people can produce transformed leaders. Only a healed people can produce healing leaders. Only a good tree can bear good fruit.

The shadow does not lie, but the shadow can change, and it begins with you.