“But to all who received him, who
believed in Jesus’ name, he gave power to become children of God.”
— John 1:12 (NRSV)
Rwanda was a bad place to be for the Tutsi people in
1994. Hutu extremists, who were responding to fears surrounding a Tutsi power struggle,
massacred hundreds of thousands of Tutsi, as well as Hutu peacemakers, over a
100-day period. This was one of the worst genocides in the history of the
world. It destroyed families and the ongoing social impacts within the Rwandan
cultural landscape continue to be felt as countless orphaned children learned
to grow up as a lost people with a shattered past.
Such a story is loaded with
oppression—the absolute opposite of the type of power many of us enjoy: the power of
hope regarding one’s destiny. We can but imagine what it would be like to lose our mother
and father, as well as our siblings, aunts and uncles, cousins, friends and
neighbours. Life as we would have known it would have changed in the blink of
an eye. Pain and suffering would enter our lives and some of the scars would never
truly leave.
Imagine living with that sense of
a lack; a powerless reality.
The Hutu marauders seemed to have
the power to allow life or take it. But such a power remains only, in the right
sense, with God. Still, they took life and they changed lives, drastically for
the worse.
This is part of our history; the
history of humanity; the story of our brokenness.
Because there are people who do
not accept that Christ came into the world to save it, people who cherish only
what power they can exact over others, there is brokenness everywhere; to the
making of atrocities like genocide.
But even those of us who accept
Jesus are broken; yet, because we belong to God’s family we are issued power: authority, indeed. (The Greek word for “power” in John
1:12 is actually closer translated as “authority.”)
The Use of This Power (Authority) For
Good
The power that God gives is a
trust given, because
we, without reservation, trust God.
This Power is so radically different
from the power that the Hutus wielded. They oppressed an innocent people. They
committed acts that were gruesome beyond our worst imaginations.
As bad as these acts were, the
power of God that works for good is just as radical, but in the opposite
direction.
Just as Rwanda was transformed for the very
worst, we, those with the power and the authority of God, to love, are
transformed for the very best. We are transformed to serve and to delight when
others feel they belong.
Instead of bringing death, we
bring life by our interactions, in Jesus’ name. This is an awe-inspiring
opportunity; every day to love without bounds of fear.
***
Because of their faith, believers
are trusted by God with Power—a Spiritual Power—or Authority, in Jesus’ name.
Those who are deemed trustworthy by their faith are found worthy of trust. God
believes in the believer; not to be perfect, but to follow Jesus enough to
learn and to grow and to love, always.
Following Jesus is belonging to
Power.
***
As a final side note, wherever
we’re given power (authority) we’re also charged with responsibility and accountability. Those with
Power have awesome responsibility.
© 2013 S. J. Wickham.
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