Unitarian Universalists have had a difficult relationship with power, lately.  But we don’t need to feel ambivalent about having power, only be more cognizant and careful about how we use it.  Power is merely the ability to effect change in the world. Without it, no goal for a different future would ever be reached.

            Three or four years ago I was in a meeting with a group of UU activists.  We were from UU churches throughout Los Angeles County exploring whether we could bring our congregations together to give us a bigger impact on issues that affect the entire county.  Issues like homelessness, public transportation, or policing, that are countywide issues impacting a bigger area than where just a local congregation might be effective.

            There were about 20 of us in the room, mostly lay leaders doing social justice work in their home congregations and a couple of ministers, including me.

            The training we were attending was led by a woman from LA Voice, an organization that does faith community organizing in Los Angeles.  We had asked her to come to our group early in our formation to help us strategize about building our organization.

            The woman started the training by talking a little about the subject of power.

            And then she asked for a show of hands.  “How many of you,” she asked, “when I say the word ‘power’ have a negative reaction?”

            All but two people in the room, me and a woman, raised their hands. I was surprised by everyone else’s response.  My response to that word was so different.  

            Then she asked, “And how many people have a positive reaction to the word power?”

            Now, I raised my hand high and confidently, ready to defend the positive aspect of power.  The woman, who hadn’t raised her hand before, now raised her hand with me, but she raised her hand tentatively, only about half way up, like maybe she wasn’t ready to commit to the idea that power was a positive thing.

            We then went around the room and shared why we felt the way we did about the concept of power.

            People shared stories of oppression, coercion, intimidation, violence.

            They weren’t wrong, of course.  Power can be used that way.  Or rather, mis-used.

But how, I thought, would our group make any difference in solving the problems of homelessness, transportation, law enforcement, if we didn’t claim our power, and use our power?  Why would any other justice organization value our allyship if we had no power to bring to the cause?

And these were powerful people in the room, as most Unitarian Universalists are.  We had economic power, and cultural power.  We had education.  We had strong bodies, most of us, and courageous voices.  We had the power of a faith tradition and supportive spiritual communities behind us.  Yet we seemed to feel guilty of having power.  Disassociated from our power.  Wanting to deny and distance ourselves from power, because, in previous justice work, perhaps, we had needed to oppose power, to speak truth to power, to put ourselves on the side of those working against the powerful.

But what were we trying to organize in that room, if not organizing our power?  What were we trying to bring together from our separate congregations, if not gathering our collective power?

            I was mystified, and frankly disappointed.  With such an unwillingness to connect to the positive aspect of power, I felt that our group effort was probably doomed.  What is effort, after all, if not power?  And indeed, after a couple of years of trying to create this countywide UU organization we gave up.

            Ironically, here is how LA Voice describes their organization on their website:  “LA Voice is a multi-racial, multi-faith community organization that awakens people to their own power, training them to organize together to transform our County into one that reflects the dignity of all people.”

            Wow.

            “Awaken people to their own power.”

            Multi-racial, multi-faith, organized, to transform the County, for the dignity of all people.

            Wow.

            We are talking about personal, spiritual, goals, these several weeks.  The question is, “What do you hope to achieve, for yourself, what do you hope to change, in your own life, by following a spiritual practice, and committing to a spiritual community, such as this one?”

            We talked about a few possible goals already.  Maybe you’re here for wisdom.  Maybe you’re here for courage.  Maybe you’re here for Joy.

            Today I want to talk about the spiritual goal of power.

            That line from the LA Voice website has always been one of the callings of my work as a minister:  to awaken people to their own power.  To wake up the power that everyone has, to some degree.  And then to help people see the power they have and own it.  Find it.  Name it.  Claim it.  Use it.  Use your power to make your own life happier and the world we share better for everyone.

            That we are powerful, that we have power, that we honor our human power in our theology not our dependence on an Omnipotent God; that we look for help but not saviors in our religious tradition, that we value freedom (which is power); responsibility (which is power); democracy (which is power); in our seven principles; all says to me that a healthy relationship to power is a fundamental part of the Unitarian Universalist faith.

            And I’m happy for that.  That inspires me.  That empowers me.

            Now power can be used, or abused.  Power can be oppressive or liberating.  Power can be held or shared; wielded or welcoming.  Power can be coercive, or persuasive.  Power can be generated by fossil fuels, or electric power, solar power, or people power.

            Power can be harsh and harmful.  So I understand, depending on your experience, why a first response to the word might be negative.  But a personal store of power, and a responsible use of that power is essential to making any change in our own lives or the world around us.  The spiritual goal of feeling our power is a prerequisite to achieving any other goal in life.

            As Martin Luther King defined the word:  “Power is the ability to achieve purpose. Power is the ability to effect change.”

            He said those words as he was organizing the Poor People’s Campaign, in a speech to sanitation workers in Memphis, just one month before his assassination.

            He said, “Let it be known everywhere that along with wages and all of the other securities that you are struggling for, you’re also struggling for the right to organize and be recognized. We can all get more together than we can apart. We can get more organized together than we can apart. This is the way to gain power—power is the ability to achieve purpose. Power is the ability to effect change. We need power. . . . “

            So the question is not “Is power, good or bad?”, but rather, when connecting to, amplifying, and using our power, how do we keep our power positive?

            The answer does not involve avoiding certain kinds of power, such as forbidding coercive power in favor of persuasion, or setting up systems that prevent decision-making by a single person, in favor of group process and consensus. Different forms of power are not good or bad in themselves.

            Grabbing a child’s hand and yanking him back when he’s about to run into the street is an appropriate use of coercive power.  There’s no time to be persuasive in that moment.  A woman’s right to choose is a healthy use of authoritative power, because women should have sole authority over their own bodies.  Sharing power in that decision with lawmakers, voters or judges is inappropriate.

            What makes power positive or negative, healthy or unhealthy, is whether the power is connected to love.

            Which is why this is a sermon for Valentine’s Day.  As well as a sermon for President’s day, the Presidency being a position of great power in our country.

            Is it for love?

            Are you using your power for love?

            Are you honoring the other?  Encouraging them?  Liberating them?

            Sometimes the love power is a hard message.  Love can be tough.  The child might cry because he feels the yank on his arm, before he understands the danger of the traffic.  But is it for love?

            In our Unitarian Universalist social justice work we say we “Side with Love.”  We are on the side that works our power with love, in order to create more love in our social structures and systems.

            And there is a power in love itself.  Have you felt it?  That feeling that we can do anything for those we love.  That we would at least try, to the extent of our power.  Our love makes us strong, capable, creative, inventive, persistent.  Powerful.

            We love ourselves, because each of us is a person of worth and dignity.  And so we assert our power to be advocates for ourselves.

            We love other people, with compassion for their pains and struggles, so we use our power to stop the hurt, ease the struggle.

            We love the creatures of the planet, so we run into forest fires to rescue Koalas, and change our energy policies to stop destroying habitats.

            With love we get involved, because love means involving ourselves in lives beyond our own.  With love there is something at stake, so we give up myths of helplessness and our shame at our own power.  With love we become heroes.  We are a power for good.

            Without power we shirk our responsibility in a mutually interpdendent system of existence.

            Without love, our power will do harm to the system, disrespect the lives of others, damage the world we share.

            With love and power, and with the power of love, directing us and sustaining us, we can achieve our good purpose, and we can affect needed change.