RESTORE
This chapter from the BFG Handbook (Christian Edition of the Tao Te Ching) presents the gospel through a new "Expression" of God’s Love to RESTORE the Truth.
Chapter 17 from the BFG Handbook (Christian Edition of the Tao Te Ching) presents the gospel through a new “Expression” of God’s Love to RESTORE people to the Truth.
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Chapter 17: Leading Without Praise
When the King of Kings speaks 1
The people do not know He is among them
The next best alternative is a recognized leader whom people praise and love 2
The next is an intimidating leader whom people fear 3
The worst is an incompetent leader whom people despise 4
They have no faith
Have no faith in them
The Master proceeds calmly 1
He fulfills His promise and settles matters 5
Then the people say, “Amazing, we did it naturally!”
The King Among Us, Unnoticed
“When the King of Kings speaks
The people do not know He is among them”
Chapter 17 of the Christian edition of the Tao Te Ching, Leading Without Praise, offers profound insights into godly leadership, highlighting humility, trust, and the importance of empowering others. Through a Christian lens, this chapter reveals how Christ, the ultimate leader, demonstrates His authority and guidance without seeking human accolades, instead directing all glory to the Father.
The chapter begins with the statement, “When the King of Kings speaks, the people do not know He is among them.” This echoes John 1:10-14, where Christ is described as being in the world yet unrecognized by many. Despite His divinity, Jesus often worked quietly, allowing people to experience transformation without overt displays of power. His humility was not a sign of weakness but of divine wisdom, as His leadership was rooted in truth and love, not self-promotion.
This is the opposite of how the world usually imagines a king. We expect a crown, a stage and a crowd that cannot take its eyes off him. Yet the King of Kings chose a stable, a carpenter’s bench and the dusty roads of Galilee. Even at the Last Supper, as His friends argued about which of them was the greatest, He told them where to find Him.
“For who is greater, the one who is at the table or the one who serves? Is it not the one at the table? But I am among you as one who serves.”
Luke 22:27NRSVue
Jesus is still “among them” in this hidden way. He is present in the Eucharist under the humble signs of bread and wine, in His word, in the poor and in the people we pass every day. Many do not know He is there. For a Christian, this line is both a comfort and a challenge: He is closer than we think, and we can follow Him by doing good where no one is watching.
“…and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.”
Matthew 6:4NRSVue
“During the greater part of his life Jesus shared the condition of the vast majority of human beings: a daily life spent without evident greatness, a life of manual labour.”Catechism 531
“The hidden life at Nazareth allows everyone to enter into fellowship with Jesus by the most ordinary events of daily life…”Catechism 533
You stay late to clean up after the parish event, or you quietly cover a shift so a coworker can be with a sick child. Nobody posts about it. Nobody says thank you. It is easy to feel invisible. Chapter 17 says that is exactly where the King of Kings lived most of His life: “The people do not know He is among them.” Your unseen work is not wasted. It is the same kind of life Jesus chose at Nazareth, and your Father sees it.
Try this today: Do one kind thing today in secret, and do not mention it to anyone, not even in a post.
Praised and Loved, But Only Second Best
“The next best alternative is a recognized leader whom people praise and love”
The chapter contrasts different types of leaders. The best alternative to unrecognized divine leadership is a leader whom people love and praise. This reflects the moment in John 12:12-13 when the crowd hailed Jesus as King during His triumphal entry into Jerusalem. However, Jesus did not seek this praise, knowing that true leadership involves pointing people to God rather than seeking their approval.
Why would a leader who is praised and loved be only “the next best”? Because even good praise can quietly shift the focus from God to the one being praised. People begin to follow the person instead of the truth he points to. Jesus knew this. Days after the crowds shouted “Hosanna,” many of the same voices turned against Him. Praise is a weather vane; it moves with the wind.
“Jesus answered, “If I glorify myself, my glory is nothing. It is my Father who glorifies me”…”
John 8:54NRSVue
This does not mean a Christian leader should be cold or unpopular. It is a good thing when people love those who serve them well. But love and praise are a gift to receive, not a goal to chase. The healthiest leaders, parents and friends are glad to be loved, yet they keep turning the attention back to God, as Jesus did.
“Although Jesus had always refused popular attempts to make him king… Jesus conquers the Daughter of Zion, a figure of his Church, neither by ruse nor by violence, but by the humility that bears witness to the truth.”Catechism 559
“Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem manifested the coming of the kingdom that the King-Messiah was going to accomplish by the Passover of his Death and Resurrection.”Catechism 560
Jesus accepted the crowd’s welcome on Palm Sunday, but He knew His true kingship would be shown on the cross, not in the cheering.
You post a photo from the youth retreat you helped lead, and the likes start coming in. It feels good, and that is fine. But by evening you notice you keep checking the number, and a little part of you is disappointed it is not higher. Chapter 17 gently says that being a leader “whom people praise and love” is only “the next best alternative.” The best is when people meet God and hardly notice you at all.
Try this today: The next time someone thanks or praises you, say “thank you,” then quietly thank God for it in your heart.
When People Lead by Fear
“The next is an intimidating leader whom people fear”
The chapter also warns against the dangers of intimidating and incompetent leadership. An intimidating leader, though respected, governs through fear, reminiscent of the religious leaders in Matthew 23:1-8 who imposed burdens on others while seeking to elevate themselves. The worst form of leadership, as described here, is one where incompetence breeds distrust and disdain. John 9:39-41 reflects this dynamic, where the Pharisees’ spiritual blindness led to their rejection of Christ and the people’s disillusionment.
Fear works, at least for a while. A harsh word can make a room go silent and a deadline get met. But fear only reaches the outside of a person. It gets obedience without love, and it leaves people tired, anxious and secretly resentful. Jesus described leaders who stacked heavy loads on others and would not help carry them.
“They tie up heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on people’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to move them with their finger.”
Matthew 23:4ESV
Most of us are not tyrants, but we can all slip into small ways of leading by fear: the raised voice at home, the threat that hangs over a team, the cold silence that makes someone afraid to speak. God never treats us this way. He invites, He waits, and He loves first. St. John says the cure for fear is not more control, but more love.
“There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear; for fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not reached perfection in love.”
1 John 4:18NRSVue
“Authority does not derive its moral legitimacy from itself. It must not behave in a despotic manner, but must act for the common good as a “moral force based on freedom and a sense of responsibility”…”Catechism 1902
“If we are constantly upset and impatient with others, we will end up drained and weary. But if we regard the faults and limitations of others with tenderness and meekness, without an air of superiority, we can actually help them…”Pope Francis, Gaudete et Exsultate 72
It is the end of a long day. The kids are fighting, the dishes are piled up, and you hear yourself shouting, “If I have to say it one more time…!” It works. The house goes quiet. But the faces around you look small and worried, not loved. Chapter 17 calls this “an intimidating leader whom people fear.” We all have moments like this. The way forward is not guilt, but grace: a deep breath, an apology, and a gentler way to lead tomorrow.
Try this today: If you raised your voice at someone today, go back and apologize simply, without excuses.
When Trust Is Lost
“The worst is an incompetent leader whom people despise
They have no faith
Have no faith in them”
The worst kind of leader is not only the one who lacks skill. It is the one who will not admit what he does not know. In the Gospel, after Jesus healed the man born blind, some Pharisees refused to see what was right in front of them. Jesus told them their real problem was not blindness, but the claim that they could see.
“Jesus said to them, “If you were blind, you would have no guilt; but now that you say, ‘We see,’ your guilt remains.””
John 9:41ESV
Notice the two short lines that follow: “They have no faith. Have no faith in them.” They mirror each other. When a leader stops trusting God, people soon stop trusting the leader. Broken trust spreads in both directions. The remedy is humility: to admit our limits, ask God for wisdom, and keep learning. A leader who prays and listens can be trusted again.
“If any of you is lacking in wisdom, ask God, who gives to all generously and ungrudgingly, and it will be given you.”
James 1:5NRSVue
“Hence believers can have more than a little to do with the birth of atheism. To the extent that they neglect their own training in the faith, or teach erroneous doctrine, or are deficient in their religious, moral or social life, they must be said to conceal rather than reveal the authentic face of God and religion.”Second Vatican Council, Gaudium et Spes 19
“Scandal is grave when given by those who by nature or office are obliged to teach and educate others. Jesus reproaches the scribes and Pharisees on this account: he likens them to wolves in sheep’s clothing.”Catechism 2285
When leaders fail, including leaders in the Church, the hurt is real. Christ remains faithful, and He calls every leader back to humility and truth.
Maybe you have watched a leader you trusted fall: a coach, a manager, a public figure, even someone in the Church. It leaves a bitter taste, and it is tempting to say, “I will never trust anyone again.” Chapter 17 names that wound honestly: “They have no faith. Have no faith in them.” But it also shows a way out. Our faith rests on Christ, not on any one person, and each of us can become a leader who is worth trusting.
Try this today: Pray today for one leader who has let people down, and ask God to show you one area where you need to keep learning.
The Calm Master Who Keeps His Word
“The Master proceeds calmly
He fulfills His promise and settles matters”
Christ’s example shows a different way: “The Master proceeds calmly.” Jesus demonstrated this calm authority throughout His ministry, fulfilling His promises and bringing peace to those who followed Him. At the culmination of His earthly mission, He declared on the cross, “It is finished” (John 19:28-30). In doing so, He settled humanity’s greatest need—reconciliation with God—not through force or self-aggrandizement but through humble obedience to the Father.
Calm is not the same as doing nothing. Jesus was calm in a boat tossed by the storm, calm before Pilate, and calm on the road to Calvary, yet He never stopped moving toward the work His Father gave Him. His peace came from knowing the Father’s love, not from easy circumstances. That is why He could rest in the storm and then still it with a word.
“And he awoke and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, “Peace! Be still!” And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.”
Mark 4:39ESV
“He fulfills His promise and settles matters.” Every promise God made through the prophets came true in Jesus. On the cross nothing was left hanging; sin, death and our separation from God were dealt with once and for all. For us, following the Master means keeping our word, finishing what we start, and settling things with others instead of leaving them unresolved.
“For all the promises of God find their Yes in him…”
2 Corinthians 1:20ESV
“Meekness is yet another expression of the interior poverty of those who put their trust in God alone… The meek “shall inherit the earth”, for they will see God’s promises accomplished in their lives.”Pope Francis, Gaudete et Exsultate 74
“To believe is to say “Amen” to God’s words, promises and commandments; to entrust oneself completely to him who is the “Amen” of infinite love and perfect faithfulness.”Catechism 1064
“All the troubles, for all time, of humanity enslaved by sin and death, all the petitions and intercessions of salvation history are summed up in this cry of the incarnate Word.”Catechism 2606
The group chat is blowing up. Plans fell through, someone is upset, and everyone is typing at once. You feel the pull to fire back fast. Chapter 17 offers a different way: “The Master proceeds calmly.” Take a breath and say a quick prayer before you reply. Then do the quiet, faithful thing: follow through on what you said you would do, and help settle the matter instead of adding to the noise. Calm and faithful is how Jesus led.
Try this today: Pick one promise or unfinished task you have been avoiding, and calmly finish it today.
“We Did It Naturally”
“Then the people say, “Amazing, we did it naturally!””
The closing statement, “Then the people say, ‘Amazing, we did it naturally!’” underscores Christ’s empowering leadership. He enables His followers to act freely and responsibly, guided by the Spirit, rather than through coercion. In John 8:54-56, Jesus emphasizes that His glory comes from the Father, allowing others to experience God’s work as their own growth and realization. This aligns with His invitation in Matthew 11:28-30 to take up His yoke, which is light and empowering, rather than burdensome.
This is the strangest and most beautiful line in the chapter. After the Master has done everything, the people feel as if they did it themselves. That is how grace works. God does not push us aside or treat us like puppets. He works so deeply inside us that the good we do truly becomes our own, while still being His gift.
“for it is God who is at work in you, enabling you both to will and to work for his good pleasure.”
Philippians 2:13NRSVue
St. Paul saw this in the early Church. He planted, Apollos watered, but neither of them was the real cause of the growth. A Christian leader shares that joy. The goal is not people who depend on us forever, but people who grow strong in God and can say, with surprise and gratitude, “We did it.”
“So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth.”
1 Corinthians 3:7NRSVue
“The merit of man before God in the Christian life arises from the fact that God has freely chosen to associate man with the work of his grace. The fatherly action of God is first on his own initiative, and then follows man’s free acting through his collaboration…”Catechism 2008
“Justification establishes cooperation between God’s grace and man’s freedom… When God touches man’s heart through the illumination of the Holy Spirit, man himself is not inactive…”Catechism 1993
Your teenager has been struggling with a school project. You could take over and do it in an hour. Instead, you sit beside them, ask a few good questions, and let them work it out. Late that night they show you the finished project, beaming: “I did it!” You smile and keep quiet about your part. Chapter 17 calls this the best leadership of all: “Amazing, we did it naturally!” It is how God raises us, too.
Try this today: Instead of fixing a problem for someone today, ask them one good question and let them find the answer.
Living the Chapter
The whole chapter, put into practice
This chapter encourages Christians to emulate Christ’s model of leadership: to lead with humility, trust in God, and a focus on enabling others to thrive. In ministry, family, or community roles, believers are called to point others to God, not to themselves. By acting with integrity, fulfilling commitments, and trusting in God’s sovereignty, Christians can lead effectively without seeking recognition, enabling others to grow in their faith and experience God’s work as their own.
In summary, Leading Without Praise highlights the qualities of godly leadership, exemplified in Christ. True leaders act with humility, empower others, and trust in God’s plan rather than seeking human praise. By following Christ’s example, believers can lead in a way that reflects God’s glory, inspiring trust and cooperation while allowing others to experience His work in their lives.
Chapter 17 gives us a simple path for every place we lead, whether at home, at work, in a parish or among friends. We start by accepting that we may go unnoticed, just as the King of Kings did. We welcome love and praise when they come, but we do not chase them. We refuse to lead by fear, and we keep learning so people can trust us.
Then we follow the Master: calm in the storm, faithful to every promise, quick to settle what is unresolved. And we find our joy in seeing others grow until they can say, “We did it.” This is not weakness. It is the way Jesus leads His Church, and the way He invites us to lead.
“So if I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have set you an example, that you also should do as I have done to you.”
John 13:14-15NRSVue
“It is incumbent on those who exercise authority to strengthen the values that inspire the confidence of the members of the group and encourage them to put themselves at the service of others.”Catechism 1917
“Parents have the first responsibility for the education of their children. They bear witness to this responsibility first by creating a home where tenderness, forgiveness, respect, fidelity, and disinterested service are the rule.”Catechism 2223
Think about the people who look to you this week: your kids, your team, your younger cousin, the new person at church, the friend who calls when things fall apart. You lead more often than you realize. Chapter 17 does not ask you to be impressive. It asks you to be like the hidden King: calm, faithful, gentle, and glad when others grow. Most of the time, no one will notice. God will. And one day, someone will say, “We did it.”
Try this today: Choose one person you lead or influence, and do one quiet thing this week to help them grow without needing them to notice.
RENEWAL
The Trinitarian M.A.P. is the method for RENEWAL, where God’s Love shapes our MINDSET, Trust in the Son directs our AIM, and Faith in the Holy Spirit guides our PRACTICE.
This chapter offers a new “Method” for the New Evangelization to RENEW our hearts and minds through the Trinitarian M.A.P. Bring this chapter into your day with the BFG Companion App. Pick Chapter 17 and an area of your life, and get Guidance made for you.
Chapter 17 opens with a surprise: “When the King of Kings speaks, the people do not know He is among them.” The greatest leader who ever lived did not need a spotlight. Jesus spent most of His life as a carpenter in a small town, and even when He taught and healed, many walked right past Him. Renewal begins when we let that sink in. If the King of Kings was content to go unnoticed, then my worth does not depend on being seen, followed, liked or thanked. God sees, and that is enough.
That changes how we think about influence. The chapter calls a leader “whom people praise and love” only “the next best alternative.” Praise is not evil, but it is not the goal. Jesus said, “If I glorify myself, my glory means nothing” (John 8:54). A renewed mind stops keeping score of who noticed what we did. It quietly asks a better question: did the people around me come closer to God today?
Try this: Do one helpful thing today that no one will know about, and when you are tempted to mention it, offer it to God instead.
John 1:10NRSVue “He was in the world, and the world came into being through him, yet the world did not know him.”
Matthew 6:3-4NRSVue “But when you give alms, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your alms may be done in secret, and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.”
More Scripture: John 8:54 · Luke 22:27
What are we really aiming for when we lead, whether it is a team at work, a group project, a household or a youth group? Chapter 17 names the shortcuts. Some leaders aim to be admired. Others aim to be obeyed, like “an intimidating leader whom people fear.” Fear can get quick results: the report is on time, the kids go quiet. But fear never wins a heart. St. John writes, “There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear.” A Christian does not aim at control. We aim at a love that lasts forever.
The chapter also warns about the leader nobody trusts: “They have no faith. Have no faith in them.” When a leader stops trusting God, people soon stop trusting the leader. So aim at faithfulness before success. When you do not know what to do, ask God for wisdom. St. James promises that God “gives generously to all without finding fault.” A leader who keeps learning and keeps praying is a leader people can believe in.
Try this: Think of one place where you lead by pressure or a raised voice, and choose one gentler way to ask the next time.
1 John 4:18NRSVue “There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear; for fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not reached perfection in love.”
James 1:5NRSVue “If any of you is lacking in wisdom, ask God, who gives to all generously and ungrudgingly, and it will be given you.”
More Scripture: Matthew 23:4 · 1 Peter 5:2-3
Chapter 17 shows what the best leadership looks like day to day: “The Master proceeds calmly. He fulfills His promise and settles matters.” Jesus did not panic in the storm or rush to impress the crowds. He kept walking toward Jerusalem, kept His word, and on the cross said, “It is finished.” Living by the Spirit looks like that in ordinary life: answering the angry text in a calm voice, finishing the job you said you would finish, and closing the loop instead of leaving people guessing.
Then comes the surprising ending: “Then the people say, ‘Amazing, we did it naturally!’” A Christ-like leader is glad when others feel capable, not dependent. It is the parent who lets the child tie the shoe, the manager who lets the new hire present the idea. God works in us the same way. “It is God who works in you to will and to act,” and yet the good we do truly becomes our own.
Try this: Keep one small promise you have been putting off, then let someone else take the credit for something you helped with.
John 19:30NRSVue “When Jesus had received the wine, he said, “It is finished.” Then he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.”
Philippians 2:13NRSVue “for it is God who is at work in you, enabling you both to will and to work for his good pleasure.”
More Scripture: Mark 10:45 · Philippians 4:6-7
In short: think humbly, aim at what is eternal, live by the Spirit. Be content to go unseen like the hidden King, lead by love instead of fear, and calmly keep your promises so that others grow and say, “We did it.”
RESPOND
Renewal brings the transformation of our spirit with ardor, empowering us to RESPOND to the call of holiness and make disciples of all nations. This encourages meaningful dialogue to embrace shared truths that transcend cultural and religious boundaries.
Renewal does not stay inside us. When God changes a heart, He sends it out to serve. Chapter 17 shows the way He does it: “When the King of Kings speaks, the people do not know He is among them.” We are not sent to be noticed, but to help others meet the King who is already among them. The best witness points away from itself and toward Christ.
In 1983, Saint John Paul II called the Church to an evangelization that is “new in its ardor, new in its methods, new in its expression.” The Gospel never changes. The way we carry it must be alive for our time. Chapter 17 shows why: a world tired of loud, self-promoting leaders needs fresh words about the quiet King who serves.
Ardor is the fire of a heart that has been loved by God. People feel it before they hear a single word. Chapter 17 says, “The Master proceeds calmly.” The fire of a disciple is not frantic; it is a steady flame that keeps burning long after the applause stops.
Use the words people use today: simple, honest and personal. Share your story, not a lecture. Chapter 17 warns against “an intimidating leader whom people fear,” so share your faith with gentleness, never with pressure or threats.
Meet people where they are: on the phone in their hand. The BFG Handbook and the BFG Companion turn one conversation into a path to Christ and His Church. Chapter 17 ends with people saying “we did it naturally.” Our tools are meant to help each person discover God for themselves, not to do it for them.
Use the words people use today: simple, honest and personal. Share your story, not a lecture. Chapter 17 warns against “an intimidating leader whom people fear,” so share your faith with gentleness, never with pressure or threats.
What my life was like before I really met Jesus.
How He met me, and the moment things began to change.
What is different now, and the hope I carry. Like the chapter’s King whom “the people do not know He is among them,” when was Jesus quietly at work in your life before you even noticed Him?
Meet people where they are: on the phone in their hand. The BFG Handbook and the BFG Companion turn one conversation into a path to Christ and His Church. Chapter 17 ends with people saying “we did it naturally.” Our tools are meant to help each person discover God for themselves, not to do it for them.
Every chapter has its own song and is written in a language people of every faith can understand. A doorway for dialogue. Chapter 17, Leading Without Praise, helps parents, managers, coaches, teachers and ministry leaders who want to lead like Jesus.
A friend shares a struggle. Together, pick a chapter and an area of life (start with Chapter 17 when someone feels unnoticed for the good they do, is struggling with a harsh boss, or has just been asked to lead). In seconds: a reflection, the M.A.P., a saint, a prayer, Scripture, a song and a church nearby. Send it by email, PDF or a share link.
Hard question? Ask it together. Answers are grounded in Catholic teaching, the saints and the BFG Handbook. Talk or type. Try asking together: “How can I lead my family or my team the way Jesus led, without needing the credit?”
Pray the Rosary with a guided voice, the daily mysteries and beads that follow along. Pray it with someone, even over the phone. In the Sorrowful Mysteries you can stay with the calm Master who “fulfills His promise and settles matters” on the cross.
Catholic churches near anyone, with Mass and Confession times, directions, and one tap to add a time to the calendar. Every conversation can end at a church door. At Mass the King of Kings comes to us hidden in the bread and wine, and most of the world does not know He is among them.
Morning, midday and evening prayer reminders, a daily streak and a steady prayer rhythm help a new believer keep going. A quiet reminder each day that the King is among you, even when no one else notices.
Free to start, no card needed. Read aloud in 48 languages.
One tool that walks with a person from the first question to the church door.
Jesus sent His apostles first to Jerusalem, then to Judea and Samaria, then to the ends of the earth (Acts 1:8). Start where you are. Chapter 17 says the King is among the people even when they do not know it, so the coworker, cashier or classmate beside you is someone He is already near.
- Pray the Rosary together on Pray My Rosary.
- Bless your children at bedtime.
- Share a Guidance with a spouse or child who is struggling.
- Find Sunday Mass times together with Church Finder.
- At dinner, let each person share one thing they did by themselves this week, then read: “Amazing, we did it naturally!” and thank God together.
- Text a verse from your Guidance.
- Ask, “How can I pray for you?” and pray right then.
- Invite a friend to Mass, then go for coffee.
- Send the line: “The Master proceeds calmly. He fulfills His promise and settles matters.”
- Be the calm, kind one.
- Pray on your lunch break with a reminder.
- Start a small chapter group that meets once a week. Begin with Chapter 17, Leading Without Praise.
- Respect the rules: invite, never push.
- Listen for the moment: “Things have been hard.”
- Offer: “Can I send you something that helped me?”
- Share the Chapter 17 song.
- Ask good questions and really listen.
- Share your three-part story.
- Open Ask BFG together when a question comes up.
- When a friend is stuck under a harsh boss, listen first, then share that Chapter 17 calls leading by fear a lesser way, and that Jesus leads differently.
- Visit the sick, the elderly and the lonely; pray the Rosary with them.
- Serve at a food bank.
- Welcome newcomers at Mass.
- Join your parish evangelization team.
- Ask shops, cafés and offices to display a BFG card with a QR code.
- Offer a short lunch talk on faith at work.
- Business owners: offer the Companion to staff as a free gift, never a requirement.
- Go where people already gather, and be the friendly one who listens.
- Pray quietly for the people around you.
- When a talk turns real, share a Guidance or the chapter song.
- Wear or carry a simple sign of your faith, like a cross or a rosary, that can start a conversation.
- At a youth game or the gym, notice the coach who builds players up instead of yelling, and use it to talk about the King who leads without needing praise.
- Host a Chapter 17 “Leading Without Praise” night, a Handbook chapter night, a Rosary night or an “Ask Anything” faith night.
- Show the Companion on a big screen and let people try it.
- We did this at our free conference, The New Evangelization in the Age of AI, at Christ Cathedral.
- Share a Guidance, a chapter song or a Scripture card. Try: “When the King of Kings speaks, the people do not know He is among them.”
- One post can reach someone you will never meet.
- Join a parish or diocese mission trip.
- The Companion speaks 48 languages, so you leave behind something that keeps speaking after you go home.
- Every nation knows good and bad leaders; Chapter 17 opens a door to the King who rules by serving and lifts His people up.
- Your parish ministries, the Legion of Mary, the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, Catholic Charities, prison, hospital and campus ministries, and mission groups.
- Bring the BFG tools to their work.
You may serve for a long time without anyone noticing. You may lead people who never thank you. But Chapter 17 says the King of Kings was among His people even when they did not know Him, and that the calm Master “fulfills His promise and settles matters.” Go quietly. Go without fear. Go and help others grow. The same Spirit who renewed you now sends you, to serve as the hidden King serves and to let God receive the glory.
King of Kings, hidden among us, Holy Spirit, set my heart on fire. Jesus, send me to the one You love. Father, make me Your witness today. Amen.
NRSVue © 2021 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. Scripture quotations marked ESV are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. ESV Text Edition: 2025. The ESV text may not be quoted in any publication made available to the public by a Creative Commons license. The ESV may not be translated in whole or in part into any other language. Used by permission. All rights reserved.