What comes to mind when you think of the word power? Perhaps we think of power in economic terms as in the worldview that says money, wealth and politics are power. After all, someone with lots of political "clout" is able to change whole communities. There's lots of power when you combine economic and political power. So we have a lot of media hype about PepsiCo's chief executive-designate Indra Nooyi has who been named the fourth most powerful woman in the world, while Congress chief Sonia Gandhi is the 13the most powerful, according to the World’s most powerful women list released by Forbes magazine. In its issue dated September 18th, 2006, According to the list, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, overtook US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to become this year's most powerful woman.
If not economic or political power, some people think of power in terms of military might. Power is represented in that image of a giant mushroom cloud hanging over the earth. An atomic chain reaction is a huge source of power. That power can be used to "tear down" or to "build up". The spectre of atomic power has loomed over humanity like a giant sword of Damocles. Whether used for good or for evil, atomic power used in any form requires an extraordinarily watchful eye -- precisely because it is so powerful and so unpredictable. There is a relatively new power that has emerged in the last few years. It has taken the world and the stock market by storm. It has been the fastest growing segment of our economy. Then, there is the internet of course. The power of Microsoft is so significant in this field that the US Government has been involved in litigation to break the company up.
Throughout recorded human history runs the thread of human beings trying to rule and control as much of this earth as we are able. Nation rises against nation, there are wars and rumours of wars, empires rise to control vast territories, enduring for perhaps a hundred, perhaps a thousand years, and then they are gone, surviving only in the history books and in the collective consciousness of the human race. Today, the United States is the dominant power on this earth. Some people think this is wonderful. Others think it is terrible. Still others are of two minds about it.
But every human power is temporary. We may build great empires that last centuries, and great structures that last thousands of years; but in the end, everything we humans do here on earth will crumble into dust and be gone. We may gain control over a large part of the world's territory and wealth, but that, too, is only temporary. It may last for our lifetime, or over many lifetimes; but sooner or later the wealth and lands that we accumulated will pass out of our hands, or out of the hands of our descendents.
We humans on our own are mortal--creatures of time. And everything about us that dwells in and relates to this material world will live out its life and then die. We can have no permanent memorial here on earth. Even if we manage to build physical or cultural monuments that last thousands and thousands of years, we know that in the end, the earth itself will be swallowed up by our dying and expanding sun. The universe itself will eventually either collapse back on itself, or dissolve into a thin film of inert matter, dead stars, and random energy, incapable of supporting any further life. All things of this material universe live out their lives, and then die.
It is only in a temporary sense that any one of us, any group of us, and any human government can be said to rule any part of this earth. We may have the reins of power in our hands for a time, but then they are gone.
Yet even when we apparently have the reins of power in our hands, much of that power is illusory. The United States is now the most powerful nation on earth. Recently they militarily crushed the governments of two nations with ease. Then they discovered the same thing that the North Vietnamese discovered: that winning the peace is much harder than winning the war. With overwhelming military superiority, breaking the governments of Afghanistan and Iraq was not difficult. Establishing reasonable governments to replace them is turning out to be far thornier a task than had been imagined.
Even here in our own land, with our government wielding the most sophisticated means ever devised of tracking its people's movements and their economic and recreational activities through computerized databases reaching into many of the things we do each day, our government remains in power only as long as the people want it to. The power that our leaders feel they wield is not their own, but is only donated to them for a time. Those who were in power twenty or thirty years ago are now simply private citizens, if they are not already in their graves.
In the end, all human power--whatever effects it may have for a time--is merely an illusion. It is real for a time, and then it is not real. And it depends on so many factors beyond human control that the power can hardly be considered our own. Even the President himself depends for his power on thousands and millions of others who could at any time decide that they do not want to do what he wants them to do.
In contrast to all the power lists of the world is Jesus. Jesus was a king because he has a kingdom but his kingdom is totally at odds with any display of power in this world.
People like to dominate others, abuse their power, and manipulate others. But that has no place in Jesus’ kingdom. We have had so many tribunals in this country and scandals because of abuse of power but Jesus is totally powerless on the cross, he cannot even save himself, “He saved others, let him save himself if he is the Christ of God.” The values for Jesus’ kingdom are service and humility. If we want to be great we must be like children. We are to carry our cross after Jesus every day. There is no place for violence or retribution in Jesus’ kingdom. Jesus is a king but his kingdom is not of this world
In many ways we see that Jesus’ kingdom is totally at odds with any kingdom or display of power in this world. He kept company with tax-collectors, sinners and prostitutes, so much so that the authorities described Jesus as “a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax-collectors and sinners.” You would expect kings to receive important people and dignitaries but Jesus received the lowly and rejected people of his time. A king might expect to receive a gift but Jesus gave gifts, he restored health to those who were sick. Jesus was not the kingly type according to our understanding of king, he is a powerless king! Kings wear a crown. What sort of crown did Jesus wear? It was a crown of thorns. What throne do we see Jesus sitting on in our Gospel? It is the cross. Instead of an army there were people beneath his cross asking him to come down if he was indeed the Son of God. So Jesus’ idea of king and power is totally opposite to the world’s idea of a king and power
In the grand finale of His life, Jesus was sitting on the most unusual throne of the cross. ‘King of the Jews’ was written over it. But that moment of pain and humiliation was passing, and then he assumed his real throne on the right hand side of his Father. This can teach us something; to bring about the kingdom of God we have to abandon what the world considers important and even be prepared to be ridiculed as Jesus was on the cross. It was not easy for Jesus to begin establishing his kingdom with values at odds to those of the world, it cost him his life. It is not easy for the Church either now trying to establish the kingdom of Jesus in a society growing daily more secular and pagan. But for those who die to themselves, who truly open themselves to Jesus, the reward is a share in Jesus’ kingdom, “Indeed I promise you, today, you will be with me in paradise.”
All of us who may have power or authority of any kind are invited to compare their use of power or authority with Jesus. Are we using our power to serve others or to manipulate? Are we using our power for the building up of a more just society or to feather our own nest? Are we using our power in any way that might cause pain on others or in a way that could help to alleviate pain? Jesus taught us, to pray, “thy kingdom come.” Jesus has shown how to bring about that kingdom. Let us pray that nations and individuals will be humble enough to look at how Jesus used power and bring about the kingdom of God
