Reflections

March Reflection

Power to serve

Like many of us I watched the recent public debate between Presidents Zelenski and Trump with a sense of shock and disbelief. One the leader of a country fighting for freedom against the tyranny of Russia. The other the so called leader of the free world. Yet it seemed that the latter was blaming the former for the start of the war. As I continued to watch in disbelief the US president made a comment that really stuck in my mind. “You don’t hold any cards”. In other words you don’t have any power (we will ignore Ukraine’s heroic and often victorious resistance over the last three years!). Therefore you need to do what you’re told.

Power! It’s a heady cocktail. One woman on being asked why she made a certain man’s life a misery made a tellling reply, “because I can”. It is one of the most powerful aphrodisiacs known to man and it is abused everywhere. Politically, militarily , legally as well as (and this causes me particular sorrow) spiritually. Yet we need a certain amount of power and authority to keep society going. Police need the power to arrest. Judges need the power to sentence. Rulers need the power to rule. Therefore how do we get it right?

I am always intrigued by how Jesus used his power. If like me you believe that Jesus came from Heaven with unlimited power given to him by God, what did he do with it? He used it to heal the physically sick. He used it to heal those who were mentally and emotionally broken. He used it to feed the hungry and to reach out to the outcast. He used it to speak hope into people’s lives. He used it to live a blameless life which no-one who knew him could ever fault. In the end he used it at the cross offering his perfect life to God as a sacrifice for our sin.

Power for Jesus was not to be used for his own ends, but only to do the will of his Father in Heaven. To put it another way he used power rather than abused it. He even used power to forgive his enemies as they abused him at the cross. Jesus challenges us to use power wisely. He challenges us to use it on behalf of others rather than for ourselves. As a church minister he challenges me to use my power to serve and not to rule.

The bible tells us that in the end Jesus will use his power visibly. One day he will use it to create a renewed Heaven and Earth. He will use it to bring freedom to the oppressed and judgement to the oppressor. There will be a day of reckoning for the Putins of this world. In the meantime let all of us who have any kind of power use it wisely and justly. One day as a minister I will have to give an account to my chief minister. How I used my power (In as much as I have any) will be carefully reviewed.