Peter and the Starcatcher

While on vacation in NYC this past week, we went to go see Peter and the Starcatcher - the prequel to Peter Pan. It took a bit of time to get into, but overall it was fantastic. With minimal props and actors playing multiple characters, it was captivating. 

What struck my attention the most were two things. First, the focus on leadership. The one who truly was discarded from society, became a leader because he had nothing left to fear. Another, one who learned leadership skills, didn’t truly become a leader until she had to start to make decisions - to defy the authority and watch injustice rule or to combat injustice, no matter what the cost? To chose to save someone or to follow orders and sacrifice him for treasure? Perhaps my favorite quote (paraphrased) is that leaders cannot save only those who are like them. This rings true, especially as a pastor, yet all to often we do only reach out to those who are like us. This is not true leadership.

The other thing that stood out to me was the power in naming. For the larger portion of the play, Peter, an orphan, is simply called boy. He has no memories, no hopes for the future. But when he acquired this name things changed, he started to dream again, to create memories, both joyful and painful. Names are powerful, for they hold both our past and our future. Its one of the reasons I dislike name-tags so strongly: I don’t want you to call me by my name until you truly get to know me in some way. 

Leadership and naming go hand in hand. Leaders have the ability to name the future. To get to know people’s past in order to cast a new vision. Yet often we drop the ball. We get caught up in tasks outside of the people we lead, or we lead by other’s expectations instead of our call. Who will rise up to be the true leaders among us? Leaders who get to know our names and stories.