Around the Horn

First, here’s a list of ten characteristics of spiritually-plateaued leaders from Neil Cole via Gary Rohrmayer. I think it is a helpful tool for self-analysis. It is very easy to live a public life that has no corresponding private life. That’s called a lack of integrity—a missing wholeness. As those in spiritual leadership, it is absolutely necessary that we repent of this disconnect between public and private and pursue wholeness.

Second, here’s an interview with Wheaton president Philip Ryken on why Wheaton has joined a lawsuit against the government for the health care mandate, particularly as it relates to birth control. They are joining with a number of other universities, including the Catholic University of America. Ryken explains that this is a freedom of religion issue.

Third, speaking of interviews, here’s an interesting interview with President George W. Bush. It covers a wide range of things, and though it is an hour, it is worth some time. To me, he always had a certain something, a sort of “unpolish,” that communicated authenticity. I don’t know him, so I don’t know if it’s true. But there’s something refreshing about a speaker who doesn’t seem to be reading from a script and repeating talking points.

Bringing it home today is a website related to Bush’s education initiative called the Global Report Card. You can choose your local school district and see how it compares statewide, national, and international. My local school district has a 9% rating in math in 16% in reading vs. the world. That means that 91% of schools around the world do a better job of teaching math that our local schools. Within our state, we have a 17% rating, which means that only 17% of schools do a worse job of teaching math. This may explain why the district is constantly running short of cash … that and paying $200K plus bennies to a superintendent for a failing school district that is losing students left and right. I can fail at that job for a lot less than 200K.