Administration:
God’s plan in actionBy Sister Irene Hartman, OP
Administration a charism? Does the very word bring to mind only the enormous salaries that administrators and CEO’s sometimes receive? It is good to recall that some of the most effective people-helpers in history were administrators. Think for a moment of some of the great founders of religious orders who were administrators in the best sense of the word. They were empowered as Christians to be effective channels of God’s wisdom by devising the plans and the coordination needed to accomplish great things for the kingdom. Such persons were able to simply cut through the drivel, the apathy, and the indifference around them; they fashioned and carried out efficient programs that would meet the needs of the poor, the sick, the ignorant, those in need.
To be a person with the charism of Administration differs from the person whose charism is leadership. The leader devises a plan; the administrator executes it. Leaders discover problems; administrators solve the problems. Leaders call us to God’s purposes and set the direction; administrators get us there. Administration also differs from service. Those with the charism of service see the needs and strive to meet them themselves. The administrator is set on delegating portions of the larger task and coordinating the work of several persons intent on a specific goal.
The administrator provides the plans and coordinates what it takes to make good things happen, and in this way he/she is fulfilled in living their faith and serving others. He/she make plans, organizes people, resources and/or ideas to accomplish a vision or goal. He/she sorts our complex tasks into clear, efficient steps that others assist in implementing. Those who receive the delegation are better able to accomplish complex tasks in the service of God because of the actions of the administrator.
With a good background in oriental languages and in Scripture, the Dominican Father Marie-Joseph Lagrange, was sent to Jerusalem in 1890 to establish a school of biblical research on the site of the martyrdom of St. Stephen. With his head full of plans, Lagrange took stock of his resources: an old building which had served as the city’s slaughter house, a Bible, and a guidebook on Palestine. His only goal was to make the Bible better understood. To accomplish this goal, he needed a thorough knowledge of the ancient peoples of the Bible, their history, customs, languages, and religious beliefs. His best teachers were the people around him; his intent was to engage them in helping him develop a school that would attract students from all over the world. Pope Leo XIII gave his blessing and students came. For 45 years, Father Lagrange labored to teach his students the beauty and truth contained in the Holy Book.
Imbued with the charism of Administration, Father Lagrange founded the Ecole Biblique, the first modern Catholic school of biblical and archeological research. He was not spared criticism and the danger of official condemnation. When he searched to find reasons to prove that Moses did not write the whole Pentateuch, a torrent of criticism arose. Some urged him to be silent. His reply was, "Is this how truth is served? Is it not the task of the present to prepare for the future?"
Were it not for the studies and inspiration of Father Lagrange, students would only now be beginning a study of the depth of the Word of God contained in the Bible. He paved the way for the training needed to verify the Dead Sea scrolls, and he made possible the depth of the Vatican II document Dei Verbum.