Power Predicaments

DAILY BYTE
(This week's BDC was written by Rev Gareth Killeen)

I don’t know about you, but whenever I think about power and its abuse, my mind immediately gravitates towards politicians.

Recently, I read a wonderful story about a politician who because it was election time, decided to visit the people in a far-flung rural area that he had not seen since the last election.

The people gathered in a field outside the village to hear his speech. This particular politician prided himself on his public speaking, and had worked himself up into a rousing finale. The crowd got more and more excited and started to loudly shout ‘Hoya! Hoya! Hoya!’ in response to his every point.

He was a bit puzzled by this word, (being a city boy he had never heard it before), but was encouraged by their enthusiasm.

‘And I promise improvements to the roads so as to generate more tourism into this area,’ he cried out.

‘Hoya! Hoya!’ came the crowd’s response.

‘Also I promise more social reforms and job opportunities for all!’

The crowd had now reached fever pitch – ‘Hoya! Hoya! Hoya!’

After his speech, and feeling very pleased with himself, the politician asked to go on a tour of the area. He saw a huge herd of cattle in a neighbouring field and asked the local Chief if he could cross the field to take a closer look.

‘Sure thing,’ the Chief answered, ‘just be careful not to step in any hoya!’

Of course, it’s not just politicians who have problems with power, for the Bible informs us that its a problem rooted in every human soul. This is illustrated by today’s focus reading which relates the story of two disciples requesting the privilege of sitting at Jesus’ right and left hand side in glory.

This started all sorts of ‘hoya’ between the rest of the disciples, presumably because they were upset they didn’t think to make this request first.

But we shouldn’t be too surprised at James and John, because their request to ‘grant us a share in the glory Lord’ is a prayer almost all of us utter at one stage or the other.

We pretend we don’t want any acknowledgement but secretly get angry if we don’t get the praise or recognition we think we deserve.

The problem with power is that its effect on us is incredibly subtle and difficult to recognise. (However, we generally have no difficulty at all in recognising it in others!)

This is why we will spend the rest of the week discussing this topic, and I would request that you do so with an open and humble heart.

Power may not be your main weakness but it can potentially be devastating in the area of interpersonal relationships, so it is worth considering the role it does play in your life.

PRAY AS YOU GO

Holy God, we worship you as a God who came to serve others and who espoused tremendous power in order to do so. Help us through the course of this week to recognise the potential effect that power may have on our spirituality and relationships. In Jesus name we pray. Amen.

FOCUS READING

Mark 10:35-41 (NIV)

Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to him. "Teacher," they said, "we want you to do for us whatever we ask."

"What do you want me to do for you?" he asked.

They replied, "Let one of us sit at your right and the other at your left in your glory."

"You don't know what you are asking," Jesus said. "Can you drink the cup I drink or be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with?"

"We can," they answered. Jesus said to them, "You will drink the cup I drink and be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with, but to sit at my right or left is not for me to grant. These places belong to those for whom they have been prepared."

When the ten heard about this, they became indignant with James and John.