Empowering

Literal and metaphor forms

In this piece, the power sign, above, does not stand for electricity. It describes God’s power but some people do not like the phrase, it ‘stands for’. For them, if it is electricity it means electrical power. How do I then describe God’s power: ridiculous old men with beards copying Michelangelo? Instead, I will use ‘power’, both literally and as metaphor, to describe a form of God. The empty tomb is the literal interpretation. But it also stands for an explosive power of God in and through us. There is only one definition of power, so when the adage bleats ‘power corrupts’, I say power is innocent; they who corrupt power ruin God’s world! Once we recognise power as neutral, we learn how to employ God’s power creatively.

 

Linguists say that some people do not or cannot abstract anything. Such a person still has cognitive faculties and education. This is not a lack in people; they do not abstract anything from the literal to the metaphoric. Jesus assumed this because he used both forms, sometimes literally, sometimes metaphorically. The parable was a handy tool in the middle east, where argument depended on people being able to abstract an idea. Jesus, being very close to God, uses both kinds of interpretation to instruct people in describing grace.

Close to God

Jesus knew some people see it literally and do not make metaphors from the literal because he was so close to God. The bible needs metaphor to explain things; some people do not move from the literal bible to the metaphor. They miss hidden messages in the text. Today, moving from the literal story of the seed growing on the ground, some people only see and understand the literal in Jesus’ parables. Jesus gave both interpretations, being so enamoured with grace, he could see it everywhere:

 

• The seed growing on the ground refers to his call to a Jubilee year; it means that God will give people sustenance in that fallow year, even if they carelessly throw seed on the ground! That is a literal interpretation and connects us to a permaculture praxis today.

 

• The metaphor refers to the reign of God’s unlimited extravagant resources if we learn to cohere with nature.

 

 

Resurrection

The resurrection has two interpretations, as well. Some people only refer to a metaphoric interpretation of the resurrection. The literal interpretation confronts his friends with the empty tomb. Even if we discount the five hundred who met the resurrected Christ, just his closest followers know the empty tomb as fact. The metaphor refers to God getting involved in humanity, permanently.

 

Some people say that they are agnostic about the resurrection, therefore, God works without the empty tomb. They assert that God continues but not in the power of resurrection, using the crucifixion as the point of departure. Yes, that is where the ‘God is dead’ theology began but most folk at least accept the event of Jesus Davidson

 

I accept the resurrection as fact. Obviously, I cannot prove it. The bible is very thin on the event. One of my worst favourites is this vague claim that ‘over five hundred people met the risen Christ’ so where are all these witnesses? I think John hides the witnesses in his text, but that is a debate for someone else.

 

Taking a much longer perspective, over two thousand years, ‘proves’ the metaphor of the resurrection. If we are going to look at metaphor, it is only in saying the resurrection continues empowering people with examples of the power. It sounds false to say, ‘It is like the power of God’, so am I playing at a double metaphor, without realising that I cannot see God, the perfect, unknowing, Mystery? I suppose, I must admit that power is the form of God from his mystery. This form is closely connected to ‘potential’, a word that comes from power but refers to the ‘about to be’. I prefer connecting to God as mystery than to power but I relax on the ‘potential’ of God because it echoes the “I will be who I will be” in Exodus 3. It is this power of the resurrection: the form that we enjoy of power from an inclusive, reconciling and restorative God. In contrast, the other corrupting power, is the exclusive, violent, hierarchal, retributive God from pre-resurrection experiences of power.

 

Resurrection Sunday connects power and our potential as human beings for over two thousand years. The power of God changed on that resurrection Sunday; it is God who empowers us; it is God doing the work. Easter, with bunnies and chocolate eggs, misdirects human beings away from the real God. The resurrection unleashes power in and through us to change the world for justice and is always available. There is only one power, it is literal power exploded out of the empty tomb for over two thousand years empowering us. We abuse it; we are afraid of it; all forms of faith use it and is available to the world. How do we correct our abuse of it?

 

Power, Love and Justice

The mystery of God actualises as power but this literal power actualises as love and its form is justice. There is a direct connection between power and love, defined as ‘the power that overcomes separation’, the definition of love. Justice is the form love takes when God empowers us. Reconciliation, inclusion, non-violence, non-hierarchy and restoration characterise this justice.

 

This means you are powerful but not aware of it.  Please, make power real in you; see your power potential. Read my book, Learn to Love, where, among others, there are two impossible realities: “God does not make junk” against the other, “We are a gemors”. Society believes and persuades that we are the latter. God believes in the former. Transcending society and God is difficult. Spend time with me, using the course above or on this website to check on me. Make love real and you can become a God-created powerful person. Do it on your own, you do not need me. Here are four steps to learn to love, first you, then God, others and cockroaches: being genuine, acceptant, empathic and being challenging.

 

The offer here is love derived from resurrection power. God implemented it two thousand years ago but we did not trust this power. We could point out pockets in history where humanity cohered with God. This is the trick, trusting God. Look at the promise from God and trust it:

• Heaven is free.
• Joy is the presence of God, so enjoy God.
• Power is available to promote joy.
• Love overcomes separation from God, leading to our joy.
• The power of the resurrection, leads to love of the world expressed as justice.

 

The metaphor? Am I the one that cannot abstract ideas because I experience the power of love after we separated from God, the cockroach and you? This is a literal way with me. We may speak of love being the form of power in us but all of it is ‘literally’ present in us. Even ‘separation’ as the wretched state of ‘non-love’ is literal. If I was to say, ‘it is just like’, what do I say? Resurrection ‘is like hidden Easter eggs’ suddenly hatching with power to transform the world with equal wealth. I cannot get away from the literal with ‘equal wealth’. All I am doing is mixing my metaphors, aren’t ?