Insignificant, yet part of something extraordinary.
Watching Louie Giglio’s movie Indescribable, makes one realize how small and insignificant the human being is and one cannot help but worship God and revere Him for His greatness.[1] As small and insignificant as we are, The Indescribable God, treasures us and He can use us to do great things. We are part of God’s kingdom that is so extraordinarily great and mysterious which, is hidden from the ordinary man but revealed to the lowly of this world. This is the picture that comes to mind as I read Busch’s book, How to Disappear.[2] Akiko Busch is a writer and critic who specializes in culture, nature, and design. In a world where fame and visibility are assumed to represent success, Busch explores the exact opposite and presents a guide to invisibility, seemingly to inspire people to appreciate and pursue personal privacy in the modern vast and intrusive world. The book is a master piece of essays that are the creative imaginative genius of a great writer but is unique in tackling a real-life issue that resonates with the principles of servant leadership, of empowering others rather than seeking own interests and seeking fame and visibility, at the cost of others. Jesus was particularly wroth with the pharisees for always seeking their own interests and showing off in public places in hypocrisy. He says in Luke 20: 46, “Beware of the scribes, who like to walk around in long robes, and love personal greetings in the marketplaces, and chief seats in the synagogues and places of honor at banquets.”[3] He instead advocates for the inconspicuous role of a servant as the greatest. He says in Luke 22:26, “But it is not this way for you; rather, the one who is greatest among you must become like the youngest, and the leader like the servant.”[4]
In advocating for invisibility in a time of transparency, Busch uses her own and her family’s experiences and some of the most exotic and remote places to advocate for a life of inconspicuousness. She creatively suggests ways in which one can disappear rather that seek fame and visibility. She highlights the merits of invisibility, advocating for a life of personal privacy in the modern networked world which is image saturated, and technology has disrupted the privacy of our lives. Her suggestions of disappearing are very alluring, especially for introverted people like myself who thrive in the quietness of solitude and privacy. The merits of invisibility that she highlights include, curating our identity; to rediscover the other side of being human that has been forgotten through modern intrusiveness of privacy by technology; and having the much-needed privacy. She literary sees invisibility as a symbol of prestige and something to be desired, in a world where “there is this constant drumbeat to make everything public” and says “we live to see and be seen.”[5] She quotes Christopher Lasch, who noted that “success in our society has to be ratified by publicity.”[6]
We live in a world where technology has invaded our privacy and people are excited at the possibilities that technology has brought to reality, and significantly enhanced globalization of our society. It is a new dispensation that whatever happens in one part of the world is no secret across the world as the News media and the invasive social media immediately flashes the information in a speed that was unimaginable a couple decades ago. The advocacy for invisibility by Busch at face value is alluring but what does it present itself to the Christian leader. As much as it has indeed been romanticized, it has its limitations and as a leader, your visibility is crucial to your followers, even as a servant leader. A leader has important responsibilities that call for his presence to, mobilize; equip, empower, encourage, and enlist his followers as a servant leader to accomplish success. In my context, as I work with the most vulnerable in society, we have a big workforce to ensure that we are all available and empowered to bring transformation to these communities. We also have to reach out to partners to mobilize resources and facilitate our like-minded individuals and organizations to partner together in our work. I find value in disappearing for self-care and nurturing a healthy relationship with God in the spiritual formation that feeds to my effectiveness as a leader but also the benefit of presence for the benefit of my co-workers and the vulnerable communities that we target.
It was not possible to read the whole book but it’s a book that I will add to my library to read at a later time. In my research, reading the book has made me aware of the dangers presented by the modern nature of “public” life that works against setting aside quality time required for the research. I’m also awake to the current challenges facing the people that we minister too and the people that we work with. I’m challenged to balance between presence for others and the necessary healthy invisibility that helps me to be effective as a Christian leader.
[1] Louie Giglio. “Indescribable | Pastor Louie Giglio.” Christ End Time Ministries (blog), September 13, 2021. https://christendtimeministries.com/indescribable-pastor-louie-giglio/.
[2] Akiko Busch. How to Disappear: Notes on Invisibility in a Time of Transparency. (Westminster, London, England. Penguin Books, 2020).
[3] Bible. NASB Version
[4] Bible. NASB version
[5] Busch, How to Disappear, 2020.
[6] Christopher Lasch. The Culture of Narcissism: American Life in An Age of Diminishing Expectations. (New York, USA. W. W Norton, 1979).
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