The Love of Power or the Power of Love?

Well, we have made it to another Christmas.  This year it is good to have you in the building, the musicians and choir, the lights and music, as well as you at home or reading these words.  It reminds me of “How the Grinch Stole Christmas”, and that the Grinch couldn’t steal Christmas because it’s not about the stuff, the gifts or the food.  They are the side effects of the celebration, not the celebration itself.  Just as Christmas for us is not only about parties and gifts but about something more.  Something enduring.  Something that inspires us to be the best selves we can be.  Something that reminds us of the Power of Love.

There are a lot of examples of the opposite, something the Vancouver School of Theology called the love of power.  We see that in the news about last year’s attempted coup in the U.S., a chilling attack on the democratic process.  We saw that when graves were discovered on the grounds of residential schools in Canada this summer. We are seeing that in Shanghai after their elections of pro-Communist politicians. And we see that here at home in officials who have Christmas parties flaunting the rules of gathering, or that set policies around family gatherings for personal preference, regardless of what the science says.

The love of power is insidious.  It is an infection that is hard to diagnose.  It is seen in politics but also in abusive relationships, in workplaces, in parenting styles, in family gatherings, in classrooms and community organizations.  It is a hard infection to treat because we often don’t even realize we have it.

Its symptoms are hidden in microaggressions, in people rolling their eyes at someone else’s comments, or in anger bursts that are bigger than necessary.  It’s in plain sight in people who wander our stores without masks on, or in complaints to town council or school boards about masks and vaccinations.  It is in plain sight when our health care nurses in Alberta need security guards to make sure they get home safely after work.  It is seen when organizations like CBC deciding not to allow discussions on Facebook because the vitriol has become so ugly.  Sometimes it is heard, as Severna and I had the misfortune of hearing, over the phone as one person yelled and swore at another person when they thought we weren’t listening.  Power over.  From the tiny comments of “Honey, take the garbage out” when honey has already done a myriad of tasks that day, to the big actions of vandalism, like the fires in Athabasca that happened this summer.  Our world is infected with the craving to have power over someone else.

Into this world of Love of Power, Something sneaks in.  Whether you call that something the Deep Mystery, the Great Architect, the Flying Spaghetti Monster, the Spirit of Music or Art, I don’t care much, but it sneaks in to vaccinate the world with the Power of Love.  It takes a very nasty and insecure individual to feel threatened by a tiny new baby, and the people who were most infected to the Love of Power were indeed threatened.  But the people who didn’t have much power, the poor staying in a barn, the shepherds living with no fixed address, the villagers and neighbors, they felt the Power of Love.

That moment of fragile vulnerability, a tiny hand waving in the air, a set of new lungs breathing in the aroma of cows and sheep and donkeys and straw, that was a clear sign that something was up, something had changed, and the world would be a different place from that time on.

I see that power of love when I hear that first nations people are rebuilding their burnt down church in St. Theresa Point First Nation in northern Manitoba.  I see that power of love when bags of clothes are dropped off for the homeless without even being asked, and people know they will get to folks in need.  I see that when a Christmas letter with no return address comes for me and I find gift cards to A&W.  It said “because we have decided to cancel all gatherings, we would like to give you the gift cards… if you know of someone who is struggling and could use a bit of sunshine… please gift the cards to them.  We appreciate your dedication to the community.”  That’s the Power of Love.

When we come here, listen to the stories, the music, the words of glad tidings of great joy, we are choosing to be vaccinated with the Power of Love.  We get our booster shots against our most terrible infection, and we remember once again that the Power of Love continues to change lives here and now.  The Power of Love conquers all fear and is the best tiding of great joy the world has ever known.  The Power of Love continues to work in us and others whenever we ponder the Christmas Story deep in our hearts like Mary did so many years ago.  The Power of Love cures our deepest diseases and infections.  May we find hope and courage to choose that love in all we do in the days to come.  Amen.