Buddhist Catholic Contemplative Evangelical General Christian Hindu Jewish Latter-day Saint Muslim New Visions Progressive Christian

Beliefs

Topics

Columnists

Resource Library

Research Tools

Video

Podcasts

Thought Readers

Faith In Media Tracker

Newsletters

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Follow Patheos

Home
Evangelical
Throwing Pie at the President

Throwing Pie at the President

Last updated on: October 21, 2018 at 3:55 pm by John Mark N. Reynolds

Throwing Pie at the President 2018-10-21T15:55:13-04:00 John Mark N. Reynolds

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Traditions, especially weird traditions, and college programs go together. I have been told there is an Oxford college that commemorates a duck every one hundred years. I shall not check in case this is not true.

Perhaps the strangest tradition in the college program at The Saint Constantine School is the ability, once a year, for any student to throw a pie at professors and then at the President. (Tip: the tin plate hurts more than the whipped cream, though the whipped cream will take the color out of your shoes.)

This year was like every other as I once again got treated like a vaudeville comedian in a nineteenth century comedy routine. It was fun and good for the soul.

A problem with being a leader is being cosseted. You look your best, sound your best, are your best self, because some hard working people make it so.

Nobody looks their best when hit with a whipped cream pie. A former student said something on the order of “nobody should be a president who cannot be hit with a whipped cream pie.”

There is truth to this.

Of course, the Secret Service cannot let us throw pies at Mr Obama or Mr Trump, too many crazies out there, but being President of the United States comes with automatic humbling. About half the nation will pick the worst pictures, the most unflattering statements, create ugly memes, and launch them to millions. Foreign governments will nudge this along on social media for the sheer joy of messing with us.

The rest of us, leaders of a much lesser sort (in my case, insert many muches here), have to be more careful. It is too easy to drift into hearing from syncophants and talking only to our fans. Instead, we need a chance to hear real opinions, where nobody fears getting in trouble, and take a pie in the face, or two, or three.

We know this so we sign up for “dialog,” “have an open office,” or pretend to listen.

Being a good sport is not as easy as it seems. If you go to “big shot” meetings, having someone say you are “chicken” if you do not put your whole head into the pie zone is less easy to take then you might think.

Yet it is wholly good.

My dad, in leadership for decades, once said that a very, very bad sign in a leader is someone who cannot abide criticism, a joke, or taking a pie in the face or two. Actually, the last is not exactly what he said, but gets to the essential point. No leader is anything other than a person and we are all a bit absurd in fact.

Of course, now that I have written this . . . I have my reward. Actually getting a pie in the face, listening and changing when the team does not agree, is much harder than taking a charity pie in the face.

It is necessary, I am not always good at it (Lord, have mercy!), but I hope to be better every year.

Why?

If we love the good, the truth, and beauty, then we will humble self to exalt what is best. That humility is (oddly) exalting, since associating with the goodness, truth, and beauty is wonderful.

May we all, if called to leadership, take a few pies in the face.

Culture

Spiritual Reflections

Previous Post

October 20, 2018

Eden to Bethlehem (Danielle Hitchen)

Next Post

October 22, 2018 The Likely Story: Science and Explanation (Timaeus)

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Apologetics Art Culture Education On Books On Education Philosophy Politics Pop Culture Spiritual Reflections Uncategorized

Select a Month October 2026 September 2026 August 2026 July 2026 July 2025 June 2025 September 2024 July 2024 June 2024 December 2023 June 2023 September 2022 May 2022 April 2022 March 2022 February 2022 July 2021 June 2021 May 2021 April 2021 March 2021 February 2021 January 2021 December 2020 November 2020 October 2020 September 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

Who was the last judge of Israel and also a prophet?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Nathan Eli Samuel Saul

Books by This Author John Mark Reynolds

See All Titles »