We are what we imitate
A quick google search of science and mimicry turns up countless articles on the subject. There are examples of mimicry in nature all around us. In humans, copying facial expressions is even considered a milestone of infant development.[1] Clearly, we are creatures designed to imitate something. Furthermore, we know tacitly that we imitate that which we admire. After all, didn’t your mother tell you when you were 9 or so that the annoying classmate that parrots everything you say was just trying to get your attention? Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, as goes the common saying.
In The Scandal of Leadership, JR Woodward’s arguments eventually come together to construct what he calls an “imitation-based framework”[2] but only after taking us on an epic journey through the failure of evangelical leaders as seen through the lens of what he calls the Powers. Woodward compares and contrasts the perspectives of numerous authors, but essentially defines the Powers as the unseen spiritual forces at work in the world. At first, I had a hard time seeing where his ideas of the Powers intersected with mimetic theory, but in the end it’s quite clear. “Humans are captive to imitation, especially through mimetic desire, and there can be no neutrality: not to imitate Christ is to imitate the Powers, and when this happens, it leads to bondage, idolatry, and injustice, manifested by domineering leadership.”[3]
This idea dovetails perfectly with a concept we encountered last semester. Dr. Clark’s analysis of desire and worship lead us down the same path.[4] Worship, desire and imitation are all intertwined together. Just as we are “liturgical animals, creatures who can’t not worship”[5] so we are also creatures designed to mimic, as Woodward argues, either Christ or the Powers.[6] In other words, we mimic that which we worship.
Here’s where I get a little nervous. How do I know that I am imitating Christ in all things and not allowing the Powers to gain even a foothold in my life? Sometimes it’s not easy to discern between a high standard of Christ-like ethics vs. a Pharisaical legalism in my faith life.
As a brief aside, I want to acknowledge Woodward’s broad conception of the Powers includes far more than I am referencing here. According to Woodward and the authors he leans on, these spiritual forces are at work in everything from commerce and capitalism to “the Department of Welfare, the Mafia or the police, the Housing Authority or the social work bureaucracy, the hospital systems or the banks, liberal philanthropy or corporate real estate speculation.”[7] He even calls race an “emergent principality”[8] so obviously, the spectrum is broad and honestly I find it difficult to wrap my head around.
As if the stakes weren’t already high enough, we all know the verse where Paul instructs the Corinthians “And you should imitate me, just as I imitate Christ.” (Corinthians 11:1 NLT). As leaders, we point our followers to Christ as the ultimate model. At the same time, we know that our lives should also demonstrate the actions and attitudes that we expect from others. There is a very real sense in which if I imitate the Powers, I will be leading others to do the same.
Admittedly, I’m feeling a bit unsure how to apply what we’ve read this week. Just as I was starting to despair, I ran across some of Woodward’s parting words. “The imitation-based framework developed here suggests that the first work of the missional leader is the formation of an identity in God.”[9] And now I’m feeling reassured. As God has impressed upon me time and time again, this life of faith is much less about what I do (or don’t do) and much more about who He has made me to be and even more importantly WHO HE IS. First things first: A right understanding of who God is. A right relationship with Him. And then, “after developing a life worth imitating, we can develop a community worth joining, with a mission worth dying for.”[10]
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[1] Jacqueline Martinali, “The role of mimicry in the development of social communication” Behavioral Research Blog by Noldus Information Technology, Febdruary 16, 2021. https://www.noldus.com/blog/role-mimicry-development-social-communication#:~:text=Mimicry%20important%20for%20social%20development,how%20to%20communicate%20non%2Dverbally.
[2] Woodward, J.R. The Scandal of Leadership: Unmasking the Powers of Domination in the Church. Cody, Wyoming, 100 Movements Publishing, 2023. 518.
[3] Ibid., 513.
[4] Clark, Jason. Evangelicalism and Capitalism: A Reparative Account and Diagnosis of Pathogeneses in the Relationship. London School of Theology, 2018.
[5] James K. Smith, Imagining the Kingdom: How Worship Works Cultural Liturgies. Grand Rapids, Mich.: Baker Academic, 2013.
[6] Woodward, J.R. The Scandal of Leadership: Unmasking the Powers of Domination in the Church. Cody, Wyoming, 100 Movements Publishing, 2023. 513.
[7] Ibid., 320.
[8] Joel Wentz, “The Scandal of Leadership: A Conversation with JR Woodward.” November 8, 2023. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=99727JBE_Hc
[9] Woodward, J.R. The Scandal of Leadership: Unmasking the Powers of Domination in the Church. Cody, Wyoming, 100 Movements Publishing, 2023. 521.
[10] Ibid., 521.
About the Author
Kim Sanford
8 responses to “We are what we imitate”
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Kim,
Thank you for your post and the heart posture that came through in your post, when you said, “How do I know that I am imitating Christ in all things and not allowing the Powers to gain even a foothold in my life?Sometimes it’s not easy to discern between a high standard of Christ-like ethics vs. a Pharisaical legalism in my faith life.” Our ultimate desire is to love God as He first loved us and love others. I wonder if the measure, between Christlike ethics and pharisaical legalism, is found in our how we entertain and express our deepest motivations, meditations of our hearts, and the expressions of grace? Thanks again for sharing that question.
You’re so right, Cathy, in the end what makes the difference is where our heart is. Acting out of fear (i.e. fear of doing the wrong thing) produces a totally different heart attitude than a desire to express love and grace. Thanks for your comment.
Kim,
I enjoy going with you on your thought process as you bring questions and concerns to light in your posts. I often wonder how those that end up failing in huge ways or resorting to domineering tactics, get to that level of denial and action. But then again I know how easily I can drift when things are out of balance or I haven’t been abiding and listening like I should. Although Woodward brings a different take on the thought of “Powers,” it aligns with the thought that “Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.” What helps keep you grounded and confident in who you are in Christ as you continue your ministry in France?
You ask a great question that we all have to deal with in our various ministry contexts: How to stay grounded and confident in who you are in Christ as you continue your ministry? I don’t know where I first heard the phrase, “Preach truth to yourself” but I come back to it often and I teach my kids to do the same. In moments of discouragement or when other emotions are running high, come back to what you know you know. In really difficult seasons, sometimes all I can come up with is 1.) God exists and 2.) He is good. But that’s a start and God is faithful.
Amen to that, Kim. The simple yet profound truth of “Emmanuel with us.” Sometimes that is all that is needed to hold on to.
As I read your last paragraph where you quote Woodward (“after developing a life worth imitating, we can develop a community worth joining, with a mission worth dying for”), I thought of what Bonhoeffer wrote in the Cost of Discipleship: “When Christ calls a man, he bids him come and die.” Great post, Kim.
As I read Woodward’s book, I also listened to a podcast called Theology in the Raw where Woodward was interviewed. He mentioned polycentric leadership in the church as a model that he and his organization have pursued as opposed to the top-down CEO style leadership we see in so many churches. How would a “polycentric” form of church leadership translate in your context in France? Does GEM experiment with that in Europe? I do wonder if that is a model that will grow in the West.
Thanks for your comment, Travis. I’ll start by saying that typical French evangelical churches are quite top-down in their power structure. I think that is in part because French culture in general would be classified as a higher power-distance culture than North America. That said, there are also many churches that are run by a “council” similar to an elder board, some of which have a full-time pastor and some of which do not. Our team’s particular model takes polycentric leadership even a little further. We emphasize equipping every member of the church to take their turn at leading the various aspects of the worship gathering with the view of equipping them as future church planters. Granted, that’s still quite theoretical, but it’s part of the DNA of the small churches that we wanted to set from the beginning.
Great post, as usual, Kim- Towards the end, you had two points that I found especially helpful:
“As leaders, we point our followers to Christ as the ultimate model. At the same time, we know that our lives should also demonstrate the actions and attitudes that we expect from others.”
Also:
“The imitation-based framework developed here suggests that the first work of the missional leader is the formation of an identity in God.”
I struggled with the emphasis he placed on mimicry, but this helped ground me a bit. I will take it a little further to mention that as I get deeper in my research, the role of Emotional Intelligence is becoming increasingly prominent. If finding a right focal point for my identity is not critical in that work, then I don’t know what is!