“When the power of love overcomes the love of power, the world will know peace.” ~ Jimi Hendrix
I know I have said this before, probably a couple of times before; but, it bears the need to be repeated. There is something in our human nature that propels us to desire to grab as much power as possible so as to be in control. Little children begin to exert their control on family when they first learn that a shout can get them what they want. When children begin to socialize with other children, someone is always trying to decide what the group will do.
That desire, that drive, continues throughout life. Some people become incredibly frustrated if they cannot be in charge or, at the very least, get their way. Some people go beyond frustration and may even become violent. As I said, we seem to be hard-wired for power and control. That is one of the basic conflicts for all people since our souls do not share that proclivity. While our human nature may be wired for control, our spirits are wired for peace.
I do not have to tell anyone how tough it is to live in our bodies and in our world. We all know it. We spend so much time grasping for what the world has to offer and, in the process, assail our spiritual nature. Our soul is yearning for the Lord. Our soul yearns for peace. It could care less about power and domination over others. All it wants to do is to see God again face to face.
The Advent season reminds us of that spiritual journey that each of us shares. The Advent season also reminds us of that fight between human nature and our spiritual nature. This season, after all, is supposed to be a spiritual season. It is a slightly penitential season as well. Yet, our world wants to turn it into a commercial season. The Advent calendar is a good example. For a long time, there was a calendar that one could pop open each day to view a spiritual message within. Now, there are candy calendars and even wine calendars. For each day of Advent, you can drink a different glass of wine. What happened to the spiritual aspect of the season?
“When the power of love overcomes the love of power, the world will know peace.” Jimi Hendrix was not only one magnificent guitarist, he also gave us a lot to ponder in today’s phrase. I would reword it to remind us that the true meaning of Christmas overcomes the commercialized version of Christmas. The world will know peace because Jesus is peace. Remain true to your Advent journey today. Do not let commercialization creep in your path.
FAITH ACTION: Let go of any unnecessary need to be in control and give that control over to God.