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There is a purpose to all your drives, all your inclinations: sexuality perpetuates the race, dexterity and strength facilitate safety and defense. You do seek power. In the natural world harnessing energy sources, wind, gravity and fire: this is a practical necessity. Sail to a deserted island, set your anchor and cook some fresh fish. Yum. Power over these elements you take for granted … until you attempt more daunting tasks: constructing efficient windmills, flying, smelting ore. Of course you succeed. Using your imagination, intelligence and intrepid determination you go from one challenge to another. Soon you may go to the far reaches of the universe. So it behooves you to have confidence, to use your formidable willpower to overcome all obstacles in pursuit of efficiency and perceived progress. Nothing wrong with that. Many benefit. But during recent millennia the concept of power has become pejorative. You think of an individual or group having power over others. Whether it is a cultist or demagogue, revolutionaries or a tyrannical government, the dynamics are much the same: Subdue human beings by whatever means. Have them behave in a subservient way. Threats to the contrived order is not tolerated. From the Greeks, Romans, Mongols, Turks to present day ‘powers’ there has never been a dearth of aggressive people trying to control or annihilate others. No doubt this propensity will continue. Justifications abound: inferior race, abhorrent ideology, threats, vying for resources, enhancement of wealth, strategic ground. Conflicts will assuredly rage as long as human beings ignore their spirituality. The world will continue to witness myopic views of ‘strangers’. How different it would be if everyone acknowledged that all human beings are spiritual beings with the same spiritual abilities and the same purpose: growth through loving. Knowing this, people would be sorely remiss in not embracing true justice. Respect would be essential in all relations. Differences would be appreciated for their ingenious innovations, for their uniqueness. A world of ubiquitous tolerance could evolve. Maybe someday. You may say that in nature the more powerful overcome the weaker. Natural selection is the common process of engendering the strongest, healthiest and for humans the smartest. True. And if all life is just animated matter in various forms that exists briefly with no ultimate purpose, then the ‘mighty’ prevailing is fine. Kill or be killed. Live as long as you can. Do whatever is necessary to accomplish this. BUT you are not just a transitory survivor plodding on and off ‘the stage’. You are not just the ‘top dog’ in a food chain. You must function as an animal. Yes. You must do what is necessary to overcome adversity … in the natural world. Of course. But you also exist, right now, in another reality: One that is beyond matter, one that is eternal, one that is dependent on a consummation of love. Your unique abilities enable you to experience what no other creature can: transcendent love. Your greatest power is to love. To exercise this power you MUST care, truly care. And being a caring individual you will be kind and considerate. Whatever physical or psychological advantages you might have over others will be tempered by a commitment to justice. You realize that exercising worldly powers to subjugate others is brief and futile, an attempt at elevating and glorifying self. You can know with certainty that ultimate POWER is the CREATOR’S. And you can enjoy this power by simply LOVING. Look at the vastness of space. Do you own any part of it? Do you have power over it? Do you realize that the earth is destined to burn up as is the sun? Do you appreciate the insignificance of all human artifice, all physical constructs? NOTHING LASTS!! True power lies in developing that which lasts: your SPIRIT!! So wake up and get serious about what matters.
RETURN TO POWER DEFINITIONS
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