One of the primary struggles for the church today is an ancient struggle. This struggle is about power, specifically, confusion about divine power. Divine power as displayed in the life and ministry of Jesus is about power with others, power for others. It has a communal focus, a shared-life-together focus. The purposes of divine power are to create, to transform, and to liberate. This divine power is most evident in the person and work of Christ. The person and work of Christ is concerned with abundant life for all. Christ’s power, divine power, is shared power which comes from Christ’s relationship in God. This divine power is not concerned with power over others, nor seeking to be the winner or to claim superiority over other people.
Followers of Christ do claim that Christ is supreme, yes – not because of a power over others, but because of Christ’s resurrection power over death and sin, that “all may have life and have it abundantly,” as John’s Gospel puts it.
The life Jesus revealed to his disciples is a life of humble service. The work is about bringing deeper and deeper healing into all people and into all the world. At times throughout its history, the church has gotten confused about divine power. When this happens, the church is easily seduced by the desire for power over others.
Let there be no confusion: If the power the church is claiming or seeking is to dominate or destroy we can be assured it is not the power of Christ. Many in the church at large have been misled by those who would use God-language and Scripture to justify control, violence, hatred and bigotry. It has been a perennial problem for the church (e.g. Constantine, the Crusades, the Inquisition, etc.). But it need not be this way, dear friends.
The good news is that our loving God of abundant life, our glorious God of grace, shares divine power with us for the sake of the world. God’s true power in Christ is living and active. We are called to pay attention to the divine presence and power all around us, to participate in it so that people can experience true healing and wholeness, as well as lasting peace and reconciliation.
Great power accompanies the good news of Christ – the power of the Holy Spirit. It is the power of the Spirit which reminds us who we are in Christ—that is, Christ’s beloved. It is the power of the Spirit which convicts us of who we are to be in the world for the sake of Christ—that is, Christ’s agents of healing power and love.
I pray first, that we have clarity about the purposes of divine power (to create, transform, and liberate); and second, that we partner with Christ to faithfully unleash more and more of this holy healing power in the world. The opportunities are present here and now and we can pray for the eyes to see and ears to hear.
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