The beautiful water appears smooth
and serene in the distance,
but when it encounters an obstacle,
something challenging its way,
serene turns to savage.
It is the nature of power, when used
only for self-interest, to set
principles aside and seek
out its prey.
Power, unleashed from ethical values,
is a voracious animal.
I know this to be true because I feel
the churning in myself sometimes.
Simple differences are magnified into
boulders that block my way, and the
challenge is to move them aside with slight
regard for ethical or moral values.
Misused power doesn’t persuade,
it pounces.
I pray today for wisdom to recognize the
the warning signs of my need to
control or dominate,
and for the courage to control those urges
by remembering and reliving the
Way of Jesus.
And I pray for the nation and nations of
the world in this time of
troubling turbulence.
May power honor peace,
not personal pride.
May it be so. Amen.
Shining Spirit 
Press on and may it be so.