Let’s talk about power

Christians, I think we need to have a talk about power, and in particular, the important distinction between domination and empowerment. Domination is power-taking, it works by crushing others down. The image that comes to mind is a black hole sun, that sucks up everything in its orbit. The second type is power-giving, especially to the powerless. It works by building people up. The image that comes to mind is a bright yellow sun, that radiates warmth and sustains life. Jesus adopted the mode of a servant, washing the feet of his disciples and lifting up downtrodden women as demonstrations of what real power was about. He was not lacking in power. He had power to share. And he encouraged them, dominant ones in particular, to see things with new eyes. The truly powerful one is the one who gives out of their abundance of power