Flourish

Read PSALM 72:1-7, 18-19

FROM THE ARTIST | HANNAH GARRITY

The psalmist prays for wisdom for his leader, King Solomon. The
leadership actions are specified: “defend the cause of the poor, give
deliverance to the needy, and crush the oppressor” (Psalm 72:4). The
psalmist contends that these actions of righteousness create peace
for the nation. In a poetic rejoinder, the psalmist imagines this form
of leadership as nourishment that will cause the people to flourish.
God bless our elected officials. May they defend the poor, deliver
the needy, and crush the oppressor. Thus our people will flourish.
Leadership is an opportunity to be aware of the needs of your
people, to focus on the overall group goals, and to engage people in
meaningful work; thereafter, if needed, comes the enforcement of
rules, the compliance. Author Daniel Pink argues that engagement
before compliance is the order that humans will best respond to.
In my classroom, I explored this idea last school year. As the year
progressed, I found that the more I focused on engagement first,
the less time I spent on compliance. This year, my students needed
more support than the year before. No matter what I did, the
room was most productive if I had personally checked in with every
child in the class. Once I had done that, the confidence level rose
palpably and a hum of productivity ensued.

In this coloring page I have expressed this poetic idea of the intangible
measures we hope for in our leaders. Rain falls and grass grows,
nourished in the endlessness of the cyclical day, the sun and moon.
God bless our elected officials. May they defend the poor, deliver
the needy, and crush the oppressor, that our people may flourish.

Prayer: In quiet contemplation, print out and color in the page below, reflecting on how the imagery illuminates what you find in the scripture and
artist’s statement. Conclude with a silent or spoken prayer to God.