Chapter 23. Got Faith?

Coach’s Journal.

“My dad would be happy to hear that…”

I had an opportunity to work with Aliyah years ago along with thirty others on her leadership team. The three-day training was focused and somewhat intense, and we went through most of the material covered in this book. The three days allowed me to spend quality time listening to their elevator pitches and personal stories. They practiced what they would be saying as leaders representing their school throughout our region. Aliyah stood out.

Following the training, I invited Aliyah to speak at a program I was conducting with fifth grade girls who were serious about becoming leaders. Surveying our local faith communities, I decided to invite six high school girls to have a panel discussion with these twenty-five young ladies. Each were asked to bring an object with them that was important in their faith journey. The only rule I set was that they could not speak about other faiths, or why they thought their faith was the best. The goal was for younger girls to get a glimpse of what their own faith might look like when they were in high school.

The panel included Catholic, Mormon, Methodist, Presbyterian, and Aliyah who was Muslim. The panel discussion went great. It was hard for some of the presenters to follow the rules about not trying to convince anyone that their faith was the best. For the most part, they did a fantastic job.

Following that presentation, Aliyah helped out in other training sessions I conducted, mostly with helping younger girls in storytelling and creating elevator pitches. During lunch at one of these occasions, I had the opportunity to talk with Aliyah one-on-one. “Do you mind if I ask you a hard question? You do not have to answer if you do not want to, I totally understand.”

I asked, “Why is it that in all the time we have been together, I have never heard you talk about your faith in the way other faiths do?” I reminded her of our Faith Panel, and how one of the girls wanted to preach to the audience. I thought she might have to take a minute to think about it, but her answer was instant.

“My father taught me I should not worry about talking about what we believe in our faith. Instead, we should show it. Then people will want to ask about it. And then we will be happy to tell them.”

I had spent decades working with young people of faith in hopes that they would do the same. But I never was able to put it in those exact words. Two sentences that impacted my thinking.

The story she told at the panel discussion was powerful. “Do you see how I am wearing long sleeves and long pants? Since what happened in New York City with 9 -11, my father did not want me to wear my Hijab (head covering) because of all the threats happening to Muslim women across America.”

Obviously, she had the girl’s attention. One of the younger girls asked, “Is it true that in your faith your father will pick you husband for you?” She made a face as she finished, “And do you like that idea?”

“Yes, that is true with some of our faith. And yes, I would want my father to do that. My father knows more about me than anyone else. I respect his thinking. We will just have to wait and see as I am not thinking about marriage at this point in my life.”

I wish I would have met Aliyah sooner in my life. I wish that I could have, in one phrase, explained what living a faith journey could look like.

Her words made so much sense then, and continue to make sense. In our world today, we see religious leaders and their followers condemning people, judging entire people groups, and fighting within their own denominations. It is not hard to see why faith attendance at worship and other places is declining. 

In time, I told Aliyah how thankful I was for her inspiration. I told her the impact of her fathers’ words had. I promised I would tell her story as often as I could. In her warm humility she smiled softly and said,

“My dad would be proud to hear this.

What do I think about faith and student leaders? I believe faith is an important part of a teen leader’s life. I think everyone should build a foundation of leadership on your faith. What I learned from Aliyah was that we need not judge others, but instead should fall in love with our own faith.

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Leadership Reflections

What did you think of Aliyah’s story?

How important do you think it is that leaders have faith?

]Who has influenced you with their faith journey?

]Is it easy or hard for you to base your leadership on your faith?