Please note that the content and viewpoints of Mr. Hansen are his own and are not necessarily those of the C.S. Lewis Foundation. We have not edited his writing in any substantial way and have permission from him to post his content.

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Dear Friends:

Change can be very hard for me, I confess. It often costs too much in terms of people and things that are dear to me.

I am a calculator of risks by nature and by profession. Change for the sake of change does not appeal to me, but fear of the unknown is also abhorrent to me. My inclination when faced with a new prospect is to ask, “What is the worst that could happen?” and go on from there to plan and to implement. Read the rest of this entry »

Please note that the content and viewpoints of Mr. Hansen are his own and are not necessarily those of the C.S. Lewis Foundation. We have not edited his writing in any substantial way and have permission from him to post his content.

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Dear Friends:

When it comes to leadership, it is worthwhile to consider the difference between power and authority. “Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, says the Lord of Hosts” in counsel to Zerubbabel, the Governor of Judah, about the difficult task of rebuilding the temple (Zech 4:6). The Holy Spirit carries with it the authority of God for conviction and inspiration. “We love because he first loved us” is a succinct summation of this point.

Power, on the other hand, carries with it the inherent stigma of coercion and distrust. The use of power says a leader must compel others to do what he or she cannot persuade or trust them to do.

The difference is summarized nicely I think in this quote from a 1999 address from the then National Security Adviser to the President of the United States:

There is a difference between power and authority. Power is the ability to compel by force and sanctions; there are times we must use it, but as a final, not a first resort. Authority is the ability to lead, and we depend on it for virtually everything we try to achieve. Our authority is built on very different qualities than our power: on the attractiveness of our values, on the force of example, the credibility of our commitments and our willingness to work with and stand by others (Samuel L. Berger, National Security Adviser to the President, Speech, November 4, 1999).

When the High Priest Caiaphas said to the Sanhedrin about Jesus, “It is better for one man die for the people than to have the whole nation destroyed” (Jn 11:50), he was appealing to power, not exhibiting authority. Caiaphas’ comment and its implementation illustrate that when the preservation of bricks and mortar and image and influence become more important than the cost to flesh and blood, leadership has been corrupted from stewardship of souls to ownership of them in competition with the God who alone gives life.

When the door permitting light and movement toward God and grace is slammed shut on the musty, windowless, lifeless room walled by tradition, brittle commitments of the past and self-preservation, then leadership is nothing more than a cheap and hollow substitute of power for the authority of love.

An obscure and disgraceful episode in the life of David demonstrates the essential difference between authority and power. Read the rest of this entry »

Please note that the content and viewpoints of Mr. Hansen are his own and are not necessarily those of the C.S. Lewis Foundation. We have not edited his writing in any substantial way and have permission from him to post his content.

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Dear Friends:

It is an odd place for a California business lawyer–a conference center in the Smoky Mountains, teaching a seminar called “Your Relationship with Christ” and giving talks at night to a group of young adults on gospel themes.

After I finish speaking most nights, Patricia and I change our clothes and shoes and walk around the lake on the grounds. The path is paved and well-tended.

Lightning flashes off to the south and east beyond the Blue Ridge in the general direction of South Carolina. Rain spatters us here and there.

The darkness cloaks the young couples slipping by us, the girls trailing perfume into the warm, humid air.

There is something about camp meeting for 16-19 year-olds, give or take a year, that mixes the fervent preaching, stirring gospel songs, the freedom of being away from home and routines, hot sun and balmy nights, and the presence of interesting members of the opposite sex into an intoxicating emotional brew. The cynical world would call it “infatuation,” but these sweet innocents call it “having fun” or “getting serious” depending on their particular personality and frame of mind.

It was so for Patricia in Arizona and for me in Central California on camp meeting nights many summers ago, and for our parents before us.

From the shadows of the gazebos and benches along the shore, we can hear murmuring of hopes, fears, likes, dislikes, and endearments. One them, most likely the girl, is no doubt frequently checking a luminescent watch dial so as to comply with parental curfews back at the cabins.

The setting of the time is not hard to imagine. “Mom, we are going to walk around the lake after the meeting to get some exercise.”

“Well, OK, but you be back here and your “good nights” said, by eleven o’clock sharp!”

“OK. I promise.”

One night, Patricia forgets her flashlight. “Do you want me to go back and get it?” I ask twice, knowing that she has problems with her peripheral vision in the dark.

“No,” she says. “I think I’ll be OK.”

Read the rest of this entry »

Please note that the content and viewpoints of Mr. Hansen are his own and are not necessarily those of the C.S. Lewis Foundation. We have not edited his writing in any substantial way and have permission from him to post his content.

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Dear Friends:

For several days and nights, I’ve preached the Gospel to teenagers, thirty-somethings, and those who have paid the dues of time and life and have the white hair to prove it. I’ve poured out my heart to them about grace–receiving grace and living grace, praying grace and forgiving grace, grace for the prodigal and grace for the elder brother, grace everywhere for everything–and salvation that comes with grace as a package deal.

The result has been uneven like planting a garden and having the carrots all bunched up at the end of the row and nothing at the other and the corn stalks growing up into a gap-toothed grin.

On Thursday afternoon, I speak about making room in one’s heart and life for Christ and how the prayers and loving diligence of parents and teachers can build that room to be filled for eternity with the love of the Father revealed to us in Christ.

I tell of my own Dad living out that love with generous heart and spirit. Dad bought me a Bible and hymnal set at camp meeting when I was twelve and taught me to love the Word and the hymns of faith as practical guides to living. I share with the group Dad’s loving acceptance of his children who were always welcomed home no matter where we had been or what we had done. Read the rest of this entry »