Benson Elbert

Junior Caleb Eldridge provides insight into the strength required to lead.

Junior Caleb Eldridge writes a leadership column representing student leadership, continuing a long tradition of partnership with students on campus. 

Leading can be hard, and it’s especially hard to do it right. To lead, you have to juggle many things: the wants and needs of those you’re leading, various difficult decisions and meeting the goals directed at you.

How do you lead in the best way possible? How do you do the things a leader would do? How do you even begin to lead?

That last question may be as easy to answer as it is to ask. To begin to lead, all you need to do is begin to lead. And by that, I mean you need to be the one to take the first step.

Don’t misunderstand this, taking the first step can be scary – it has been throughout history. The Montgomery Bus Boycotts began with Rosa Parks taking the first step. The path towards the American Revolution began with the colonists taking the first steps as they threw the famous Boston Tea Party. And, of course, Neil Armstrong took some of the most famous first steps in history as he coined the famous phrase, while landing on the Moon, “One small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.”

All of those people were probably scared to take the first step, yet they did it anyway. Rosa Parks’ refusal to give up her seat in that period of time was scary. The colonists throwing the tea of their rulers into the harbor was scary. And how scary do you think being the first man to land on the moon was? I’d be terrified.

The point is, taking the first step is important. However, you don’t necessarily have to take the first step on something so drastic and huge.

On a lighter note, let’s look at bikes. Today, not many people bike to school or work. Times have changed, and biking to places has become less frequent. However, this began to change recently. Sam Balto, a PE teacher from Portland, Oregon, saw a video posted on X (then Twitter) in 2021 showing many children riding their bikes through the streets of Barcelona on their way to school. Balto decided to do something. The following Earth Day, in 2022, Balto hosted an event titled “Bike Bus for Earth Day,” where groups of children and parents would wait about a mile outside of school, then Balto would come around, pick them up, and they would all ride to school together.

Not only did the children love it, but through the power of social media, people throughout the city, the state and the country got a look at what was happening, and they loved it too. These videos of the children riding on bikes led by a PE teacher from Oregon gathered millions of views and inspired many people around the world. Over the past three years since 2022, this movement has only continued to grow. Recently, Justin Timberlake rode with the students on their way to school, showcasing that this movement has even reached celebrities. All of this started with one guy who saw a video on Twitter and wanted to do something.

Leadership is a core part of the Bible. If you grew up reading the Bible, then you have heard of the Battle of Jericho. Maybe you’ve even heard songs about this battle like I have. The first step begins with Joshua. 

Before he got a book of the Bible telling his story, he served Moses, leader of the Israelites. Joshua was basically Moses’s right-hand man, along with Moses’s brother, Aaron. He led the Israelites through many battles and served Moses for many years. But eventually, Moses had to pass down his leadership role and empower Joshua. 

Joshua was essentially handed some of the biggest shoes to fill in the Bible. He had to fill the role of Moses, who had led the Israelites out of captivity from Egypt, the one who had led them for these many years, while also leading the Israelites into the Promised Land, a place God had promised to Abraham back in the book of Genesis.

On the way to the Promised Land, the Israelites encountered many obstacles. One of their largest challenges was facing the city of Jericho, the gateway to the Promised Land. Jericho was one of the most powerful cities at this time, so the Israelites were already faced with a difficult obstacle.

Now that the stage was set, the story really begins in Joshua 5:13. As Joshua is near Jericho, he sees a man in front of him with a drawn sword. Joshua asks if he is friend or foe, but the man replies with neither. He says he is the commander of the army of the Lord. Joshua asks what message God has for him, and the commander tells Joshua to take off his sandals, as the place where he is standing is holy ground.

For those who know, this is similar to what happened with Moses and the Burning Bush. God spoke to Moses and told him to take off his sandals, for where Moses was standing was holy ground. But, back to the story.

God tells Joshua that he has delivered Jericho into the hands of the Israelites. Then, he tells Joshua the battle plan. The armed men are supposed to march around the city for six days. Seven priests are to carry trumpets in front of the Ark of the Covenant, where the Ten Commandments are held. On the seventh day, they’re supposed to march around the city seven times, with the priests blowing trumpets. When there is a loud blast of the trumpet, the whole army gives a shout, and the city will collapse, and they will take it by force.

Essentially, God offered Joshua one of the craziest battle plans in history. The armed soldiers were supposed to do nothing except march, while the priests were supposed to carry one of the most important artifacts in history, all while blowing trumpets. So what did Joshua do? He listened to the plan and obeyed God, taking the first steps in one of the most important battles for all of Israel. And it worked. After seven days, the city was theirs.

But it didn’t end here. After the battle was over, Joshua and his army devoted the city to the Lord, and took all the riches and placed them in the Lord’s treasury. Because of Joshua’s obedience and devotion, God gave Joshua glory and fame. All of this began with one man, Joshua, listening to God and taking the first step for an entire nation of people.

Ways to lead could include good sportsmanship during a game, willingness to help people in classes and making decisions that sometimes require you to put others before yourself.

Leading won’t always be easy. It requires the courage to take the first step. You can be the person to take the first step.

For more from The Feather visit Column: Dietrich Bonhoeffer and Food for Thought Health column: The hidden cost of convenience