Power vs. Electricity

I appreciate that I may be more sensitive about the words I speak than the general populace. It is a product of my spiritual training and my belief that there is creativity in the positive and negative energy of the words we hold in our thoughts and the language we speak. “Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable to you, O Lord.” Psalm 19:14 NRSV. Negative and destructive words create destruction in our relationships, our work and our lives. Positive and compassionate words create renewal and birthing in those same areas. 

Yet I wonder if others have noticed deeper implications in some of our language. I was especially struck by the language during the recent hurricane when many of us spent a Sunday without electricity. I went to the church early to check on water damage and to see if the church had electricity since I was dressing without lights.  People stopped by and each one said, “I wondered if we’d have church since we have no power.” What unfolded was a beautiful service with ambient light, candles and a guitar. There were no microphones, no recordings and no air conditioning.  There was a palpable presence of love, community and Spirit. For hundreds of years people have worshiped without electricity but we have forgotten what that experience is like.

Later that day I posted, “We were without electricity today but we are never without power.” Our real power is the activity of Spirit in our lives. We are strengthened, inspired, comforted and healed by One Power and One Presence.   Whatever name we call that power--God, Allah, The Divine, Great Spirit, Brahman--it is the energy of Life that breathes us and the spirit of Love that connects us. It is a power that cannot be possessed by any company or organization or country but is available to all companies and organizations and countries. Language betrays that we may have confused our inner power with electricity and technology. However convenient they make our lives, we always find ourselves searching for something more, something different. We find the peace we are really seeking moving into relationship with that One Power. That peace flows through the connections we make in prayer and meditation. Peace fills us with a power beyond the understanding and measures of the world around us.  Today, watch your words and find your true power.