Power

So... I got thinking today. Surprising I know, given that bar the necessary keep-breathing sort of thoughts I hadn't intended to really think particularly hard for the next couple of months. However, we were in church this morning when I recalled a conversation I had with Katie and Deborah in Jimmy Chungs last night (as JC is evidently the Mars Hill of Edinburgh where the latest philosophical theories are discussed) regarding my possible dissertation topic - violence in monotheism. In discussing it I came upon one of the important aspects of it - power.

Power. A word loaded with negative connotations - oppresion, abuse, war. Colonialism was underpinned by power, the 'developed' countries had the power over the 'developing' countries in their resources, their manpower, their technology. Bt the way, yes I am aware that this is the most simplistic formulation of colonialism ever, but it serves it's purpose. Abuse, in many cases resolves around the power one person has over another, be it in physical ability, mental prowess, or just in terms of the ability to do something another cannot. War is the ultimate battle of powers - the 'my-tank-is-bigger-than-your-tank' situation has led to horrendous abuses of human rights on both sides. Even theologically, we have the case of the continual debate of the issue of power in the Trinity. Models which place them in a triangle invariably place one member of the trinity in a position of power over the others. As well as this, there is the major issue of omnipotence as a central attribute. Of course this issue can be resolved with the reading of omnipotence as the potential rather than the power of God.

I'm sure that all those who read this post (if any) would agree that these are often the first words that come into our heads when we think of power. But then I think of the Salvation Army. We often try to bypass the word 'army' when we think about it - we talk about it as a church or a charity - both of which it obviously is; however, as Alison reminded us this morning - it is an army. As the Singing Company sing - "To the war, to the war" or "lift the blood stained banner high and take the field for Jesus/Storm the forts of darkness/bring them down/bring them down". We need to go forth and fight the cause, to appropriate power for good. The cases above are all about the misuse or misunderstanding of power. We to use power well, to fall at our knees in the face of the power of God - in terms of creation or salvation etc.

We need to be ready to fall on our knees, and for the church to fall to it's knees in the face of power as a real positive force. A force which we can use to help people, to bring about peace and compassion. Power is necessary in the church.