Do we really understand what power, true power is? Most do not consider what power is, in and of itself. Most think of power in terms of what it is that “they” - whoever "they" is - have and what he or she as an individual, a group, a community, even as a race, doesn’t have. Or, if one is on the other end of the spectrum that perceives itself to have power -- or at least the perception of power -- does whatever it takes to hold on to this elusive pre-eminance.
I often think of the many lessons one can learn from the childhood story Wizard of Oz. We, as a people, are drugged by the illusion of power. We hand over control of our individual destinies to anyone who looks like he or she has authority, from the head of an African-American organization, the district manager in our office, to the latest smooth-talking politician -- or the head gangbanger on the street. Why? Do we do it out of fear? Fear of not belonging? Fear of potential harm? Fear of not being the "team player"? We somehow relate the illusion of power to competence. As long as we see all the fire and glory, as long as we hear all the clamor and roar, we continue to pay no attention to the little man behind the curtain blowing smoke. How often have you been a part of an organization or a group and could see clearly that you are headed in the wrong direction, yet the one with the most power continued to insist that his way was the only way? And you, knowing that his way was the wrong way, continued to follow. Just how did Hitler get an entire nation of people to follow his insanity? Would the Titanic have been saved if the captain had listened to the sailor who suggested re-evaluation of the course they were taking? So what is true power? One of the best definitions I have heard is that power is simply the freedom to take action. And if that is a realistic definition, then each of us as individuals or as a united entity are in possession of the ability to evoke or catalyze change - whether good or bad.
If we all, then, have the freedom to take action, we must come to terms with the reason - the purpose -- for the next steps we choose to take. Thus comes the topic of this essay: what is the purpose of our actions? Are we moving with purpose or moving with agenda? Are purpose and agenda synonymous in definition? Many think so. There is so much energy put into agendas, politicking, and controlling -- from the schoolroom to the board room, the pulpit to the White House. I am more inclined to believe that agendas are more self-fulfilling and selfish in nature. Purpose seems to indicate a cause greater, more powerful, than self. Purpose has a path, and its end may not be directly foreseeable. And yes, I believe in God and that our paths must be directed by God, in order to achieve our true individual and collective purposes. Proverbs 3:5 - 6 is a clear directive as to how we can successfully fulfill our purpose: Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not to your own understanding. Acknowledge Him in all your ways and He will direct your path. Sounds easy, yet hard to do, especially if you are independent, creative and self-reliant. It is so easy to get out in front of the headlights and "take the wheel" when one thinks that things aren't going fast enough or in the direction she perceives to be the better path. Time after time, when I get impatient and take the wheel, the purpose comes to nothing and I miss out on the opportunity to truly accomplish something. We were given some great examples in the Bible of those who successfully achieved their purpose and those who didn't. Ruth is one of the strongest examples of humility and trust, resulting in a specific purpose being fulfilled for a nation. Moses, after following God through major trials and miracles -- the parting of a sea is a pretty clear directive of a path -- missed out on the promised land by one self-motivated stroke of impatience. He forgot that his true purpose was never about him; it was about the fulfillment of God's plan for a nation of people. Then of course, well, there is Jesus Christ, the greatest example of the power of purpose that has ever existed.
I often think of a man, a minister, I met a couple of years ago, who clearly -- at least in my mind -- had the potential to become a true leader, even on a national level, within the African American community. Then I watched, as that calling, even purpose, was overshadowed as he began to listen to his own ego and those with whom he surrounded himself. He took his own path, based upon the whispered advice of others empowering cloaked agendas. What he lost in the process is not dissimilar to what Moses, Elijah, even David lost in that split second of decision making. I often wonder what would have been had he followed the directive given in Proverbs and given himself completely to the purpose for which he may have been intended.
Everyone cannot take the lead or be the focal point of an accomplishment. Our individual purpose may come in the form of leadership or as a catalyst of a greater outcome. In fact, I believe that the latter is more common than not. I am with my perky two-year old niece quite often, which means that I get to see her Disney movies. One of the most interesting lessons I took away from repeated viewings of Lion King 11/2 was that the end result would never have occured without the behind the scenes actions of the most unseeming heroes, who chose to follow the paths they were shown. The euphemism " behind every great man is a great woman" is not without merit. Most relationships would flourish, and those in most relationships would achieve so much more out of life, if they understood that a mutually catalytic partnership is as important as love and attraction. Whether your purpose is to become the leader of a community, church or a nation or your purpose is to vote for that leader, there is equal value in taking the action that causes the purpose to become fulfilled. As I look at my own life experience, I have begun to understand my journey. One of the greatest lessons I am learning is to submit to walking the path I have been given, understanding that I may not be where I want to be, but I am definitely where I am supposed to be. The other important lesson is to find contentment in walking that path, even without certainty as to where that path is leading, or the seeming unimportance of my role in fulfilling a greater purpose. And when I let go and let God, life's sea truly does part and the purpose shines forth with clarity.
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