Power: Holy Week and Easter

Power. It is a big and complex topic. Who has power? How is power used? Power has many aspects, from personal to international and everywhere in between. It is a particularly difficult topic for Christians. The way Jesus embodies the power of God is very different than we expect- even after 2000 years. And how Christians understand and use power is particularly important in these days of the unapologetic rise of White Christian Nationalism.

We must try to be thoughtful, careful, and precise when we talk about power. During Holy Week and Easter there can be a lot of talk about power in Christian circles. I expect you and I will see and hear about the power of the cross. And the power of the resurrection. The power of God. The power of Christ. We need to think carefully about the kind of power people are describing and advocating. Sometimes this will be explicit, sometimes implicit.

How are we talking about power? Are we talking about power “over”? Or power “with”? Power sharing? Power delegating? Giving power to …? Taking power from…?

I’m going to be listening, reading, and thinking carefully about how Christians talk about power in these next weeks. I hope you will be watching and thinking about how Christians talk about power along with me.

If you are so inclined, share with us some of what you find. You can leave a comment on the blog or post your comment on social media, conversationinfaith on Facebook, or on my personal social media, Nancy Janisch on Facebook, nancyannjanisch on Instagram and Threads.