Of Love and Power

In my sophomore year of high school I took a Geometry class. I don't remember much from High School (especially not History) but I remember that in Geometry we had to prove things. Forgive me if you're a math major for what I'm about to butcher, but I'm going to do it anyway. A proof, as I recall, was writing out how I came up with my solution. So if the question was the degree of a certain angle, I had to write out how I found it. For example: If the length of these two sides are X and Y, then the length of the third side must be Z. And if the length of the third side is Z, then the angle of X and Y must be A. And if the angle of X and Y is A, and the other angle is given as B, then the angle I've been asked for must be _____.

Forgive the letters - for those who hated math, just skip down and ignore what's previously written. It's not important to understand, it's just how my brain was working yesterday when I was thinking about God and power and love.

The thought ran through my brain that love is the greatest power on earth. And as nice as that thought is - and with as many songs as have been written about it - I wondered if it was really truth. I mean, God is the greatest power on earth. And then I remembered that God said, in 1 John 4:16 that He is love. So then my brain jumped to geometry proofs. If God created all we can see and all we cannot see with the mere Word of his mouth, if he breathed life into Adam by forming him from the dust and blowing on him, if he sustains the universe by his presence then He is unquestionably the most powerful force in the universe. And if He is the most powerful force in the universe and He says that He is Love, then Love is the most powerful force in the universe.

What's interesting about this to me is the difference that we find between the spiritual world and the physical world, and when there is crossover between the two. For the most part, when we think of power, we think of the physical world - weight lifters, cranes, rocket launchers or atom bombs. Perhaps we think of social power - wealthy people, CEOs, pimps, presidents. . . Or maybe we even recognize relational power - manipulation, abuse, encouragement, or even love. We can clearly see "who has the power." Or can we?

Yes, we can see the kingdom shapers and world movers. We can see the gurus and the famous and the politicians and clearly see the impact they have on society. But is there an intangible that's even more powerful than all that wealth and position have to offer? Is it possible that a word, a concept, an untouchable idea in the realm of spirit and emotion has more power packed in it's little finger than all the world can imagine? What I'm supposing is that love, an intangible concept, has a physical reality - as is evidenced in the world around us.

What about the young girl who loves her elderly neighbor, and so gives hope and laughter and light in the waning years of life? What about the small family that loves the children from next door, and so provides an example of faithful marriage, healthy family, and following God? What about the young man who befriends the young boy and keeps him out of drugs and gangs and using girls? How much difference is made in the world around us through the power of love?

Yes, an atomic bomb can blow up an entire city and devastate a region, but what kind of power would it take to change that region into a people group demonstrating peace, hope, love, kindness, generosity and so much more? Yes, local authorities have the power to lock up violent offenders, but what kind of power could transform those violent offenders to peaceful citizens who give back to society in blessing? Yes, world governments can make decisions that impact policy for years to come - even the global economy - but what kind of power would it take to create true peace talks between the Middle East and Israel? It's the power of love.

If one person would love one person, who would love one person, then people are having restored hope, a view beyond their own meager existence, relationships that provide accountability and opportunity. If one person would love one person who would love one person, then leaders begin to function out of compassion for their fellowman, and not out of selfish ambition. If one person would love one person who would love one person - we could change the world one person at a time.

It's honestly not possible for me to single-handedly bring world peace, but it is my job to love the people God has put in my life. And the advances made in the spiritual realm when I do battle with love as my sword, just may be advances that will echo through history in the physical realm, reaching far greater than I could ever hope or even imagine.