Happy or Sad? Or Confused?

Lately, my head has hurt a lot. And I’m not talking about something that can be resolved by taking an Advil. Rather, I’m describing the many mixed messages that keep jarring my brain.

Just think about the headlines. The United States is at peace, but the world seems to be in a precarious place. Unemployment is at historically low levels, but experts are worried about the economy and the stock market has tanked. The internet is both essential and an existential threat. Should I be hopeful or concerned? Happy or sad?

The same kinds of contradictory signals are present for most churches and ministries. We’ve lifted almost all of our pandemic restrictions and protocols, but we’re not really back to “normal.” Indications of health and vibrancy exist alongside warning signs of future trouble.

This happy-sad dissonance creates unique challenges for leaders. We may feel like we’re walking a tightrope. Ignoring either the good or the bad news sets us up for criticism. (”You always see the glass as half empty/full.”) Even routine decisions are full of uncertainty. We’re prepared to respond to storms or to ride the waves of success, but how do you lead when both are happening at the same time?

Internally, the challenges are even greater. I’m not a psychologist, but the human brain doesn’t seem designed to hold competing emotions simultaneously. Can you really be filled with joy and grief, or excitement and anxiety, in the same moment? And yet, that is exactly where many leaders find themselves in this season.

I don’t have an answer to this tension, but I do have an inspiration. Many of the Psalms show David dealing with a swirl of emotions. (See Psalms 4, 13, and 22 among others.) He’s not afraid to express a mixture of fear, anger, grief, hope, and joy in one brief outpouring of his heart. Sometimes the Psalms feel jarring to me, but often they help me realize that life will always be a mixture of good and bad, and that the best way to handle the dissonance is to take it all to God in prayer