The Powers That Be

Well, book two of four is complete. This time I read Naming the Powers by Walter Wink. It is the first of a trilogy he began publishing in 1984 and that is quickly becoming a classic.

Here, Wink's goal is to counteract centuries of biblical interpretation that has failed to realize that the language in Scripture referring to powers and authorities does not refer solely to spiritual forces. In fact, he asserts, while the language refers to both spiritual and earthly powers, it mainly refers to earthly powers.

This was brought to my mind today in Sunday School when the question was asked, "Why is the gift of Christ the greatest gift of all?," and was followed by the question, "How do you give the Christmas gift of Christ to others?" I explained when I think of Mary's Magnificat and that the angels appeared to shepherds and foreigners instead of those Jesus seemed to have came to deliver, I am reminded that God identifies with those who are exploited by the powers that be.

I said this makes the gift great, that Christ's birth proclaimed to the powers, powers created by God and inherently good, that they are not reflecting the goodness of their creator and shall be called to task for the many injustices they have trangressed.

As Wink puts it, these powers have falsely established themselves as the ultimate. Christ proclaims a different spirituality: he is the ultimate and his way is love rather than domination. This, Wink says, is where both conservative and liberal Christians have missed the boat. They have sought to overcome these corrupt powers by gaining that corrupt power for themselves not realizing that these powers are fed by a false spirituality.

So we proclaim the gift of the true spirituality of Christ as the ultimate whose Lordship revolutionizes what the worldly powers have made lordship to be in their image. We give this gift by speaking truth to the powers, including those that fuel the system in which we live and benefit, and by providing what refuge we can to those who are exploited by the powers.

The result will be twofold: 1) the very existence of the powers will be threatened by the proclamation of a true spirituality, and 2) people will find deliverance in an authentic way of life instead of that destructive value system they were duped to participate in.

With that, I began book three and wish you an excellent Advent and a Merry Christmas. Remember, in this season we celebrate the arrival of God's Kingdom on earth.