[Tension & Renewal - XX]
I remember hearing an interview with Gregory Boyle and he shared a story about rivaling gang members sitting together and sharing Thanksgiving dinner. It was a profound story because it challenged my understanding of power.
What’s more powerful: gang members carrying loaded weapons and waring over turf or former gang members sitting across the table from each other and passing dinner rolls? Or asked a little differently: Is hate and violence more powerful than reconciliation and redemption?
It’s not even close, in my opinion.
Our understanding of power is so closely related to intimidation, violence, and control that it takes a story as shocking as gang members eating holiday meals together to remind us that there is a different kind of power. A more powerful power is defined by mutuality, solidarity, empathy, forgiveness, and love.
A genuine spiritual revival will often include awakening to a nonviolent, non-intimidation-based power.
