Faith, Servant Leadership, and the Second Greatest Commandment
Personal Reflection | Matthew 22:34-40
Yesterday at Mass, the Gospel centered on a question posed to Jesus, "Which commandment is the greatest?"
Jesus answered that we are to love God with all our heart, soul, and mind. He then followed with the second greatest commandment, love your neighbor as yourself. This reading sat with me the remainder of the day as I reflected. This morning, I came across an Instagram reel featuring a former Navy SEAL reflecting on why he wished he had spoken more openly about his faith during his military career. The conversation also included a British SAS veteran discussing Christianity, spiritual warfare, and the importance of expressing one's beliefs. I appreciated hearing these men openly discuss their faith. However, the conversation brought another question to mind, one that connects my faith with my years of military service and professional experience in human performance.
If loving our neighbor is one of the greatest commandments, why aren't we placing greater emphasis on developing servant leadership throughout a service member's entire career?
Servant Leadership Beyond Rank
Military leadership doctrine emphasizes selfless service, humility, accountability, and caring for others. Some professional military education courses explicitly teach servant leadership, while others incorporate its principles into broader leadership development.
Yet, I question how consistently these principles are reinforced, particularly among our most junior service members. Why should servant leadership become a significant conversation only as individuals assume greater leadership responsibilities? Shouldn't we begin cultivating this approach from the moment someone enters military service? Servant leadership does not mean avoiding difficult decisions, lowering standards, or placing individual desires above mission requirements. It means recognizing that leadership carries a responsibility to develop, support, and care for others while accomplishing the mission.
More importantly, servant leadership should not be reserved for those holding positions of authority. Every service member has opportunities to serve others, demonstrate humility, and positively influence those around them.
From Leadership Doctrine to Daily Practice
We can teach servant leadership in a classroom, discuss it in a leadership academy, and incorporate it into military doctrine. However, what happens when service members return to their units? Are they experiencing these principles through the actions of their leaders? Are we reinforcing these behaviors throughout their careers, or are we simply assuming they will develop through experience and increased responsibility?
Leadership development should extend beyond formal education. The behaviors demonstrated by supervisors, peers, and senior leaders shape how junior service members understand leadership long before they attend advanced professional military education.
If we expect senior leaders to embody servant leadership, we should be equally intentional about developing those principles at the earliest stages of military service.
Living the Second Greatest Commandment
This brings me back to yesterday's Gospel.
Jesus did not tell us to love only those who share our beliefs, agree with our decisions, or make our lives easier. He commanded us to love our neighbor as ourselves. That includes the difficult subordinate, the struggling teammate, the colleague with different beliefs, and even those who challenge our patience.
In John 13:31-35, Jesus reinforces the importance of love by telling his disciples that others will recognize them by the love they have for one another. This adds another dimension to the second greatest commandment. Love is not simply something we are called to believe in or discuss, but something others should be able to recognize through our actions.
I believe there is tremendous value in openly discussing our faith. However, I also believe we must examine whether our actions reflect the principles we profess.
Perhaps the responsibility to serve others is where our faith and leadership intersect most meaningfully.
As I continue growing in my own faith, I find myself reflecting on how consistently I have demonstrated the second greatest commandment, particularly during moments when serving others required patience, humility, or personal sacrifice.
Before asking whether we are speaking openly enough about our faith, perhaps we should also ask whether the people around us can recognize that faith through the way we treat them.
Loving our neighbor is not simply something we are called to discuss on Sunday. It is something we are called to demonstrate every day, regardless of our position, authority, or rank.
Scripture: Matthew 22:34–40; John 13:31–35.
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