What makes the temptation of power so seemingly irresistible? Maybe it is that power offers an easy substitute for the hard task of love. It seems easier to be God than to love God, easier to control people than to love people, easier to own life than to love life.
- Henri Nouwen
This is by no means unrelated to the previous post. The will to power comes more easily, more naturally than the will to love. The former thus impinges on our "love lives", with promiscuous sex, prostitution and pornography the results.
Nouwen wrote the above quote in relation to Christian leadership. I wonder if those Christian leaders who have been caught up in sex scandals have had ministries of power rather than of love; ministries of controlling people rather than loving people?
No comments:
Post a Comment