The Power of Cheese

I wonder if any of you have ever seen the "Hour of Power" on TV on Sunday mornings. I never have. I don’t even know which televangelist it is. But I found myself wondering about the "Hour of Power" as I thought about this week’s Scripture readings. Power is an important element in all three readings this morning. And actually, as I thought of power, another television allusion jumped into my mind. Have you seen the TV ads that show wonderful servings of pizza with a glorious, gooey cheesy topping… or that show rich cheddar being seductively grated… or that display a positively irresistible fluffy mound of fresh grated Parmesan? I may be muddling more than one commercial, but the punch line is, "Ah… the power of cheese." The power of cheese.

Do you think of cheese as powerful? I’ll certainly admit that cheese has some portion of power over my life. I love just about any sort of cheese. And the famous cheese balls that Patti and Mary make for the St. Patrick’s fair have power. They have the power to draw people to the fair year after year, the power to influence at least some peoples’ choices, how they choose to spend their time. The power of cheese.

But turning to more serious topics, what or who do you think of as being really powerful? Just on the spur of the moment, if you were asked to list the ten most powerful people you can think of in the world, who would they be? I think my first reaction would be to list people who hold high political power. President Bush, President Putin, Prime Minister Sharon. These are people whose power affects millions of others, men who have the power to sway the course of the planet’s history. We would have to admit that today Osama Ben Laden and Saddam Hussein also wield that sort of power.  A power that affects millions, that can change the course of history.

Upon further reflection, I might try to list major figures in business on my list of powerful people. Not being much a businessperson, I am not as familiar with their names, but wouldn’t we have to put the likes of Bill Gates or Alan Greenspan on our list? Remember, power is our only criterion for selection. Who else are among the world’s most powerful?

Who is the most powerful person you know personally? Who is the most powerful person in some hypothetical parish? The rector? The biggest giver? The hardest worker? The loudest talker?

Do you think of yourself as powerful? You are. (This is my main point.)  You are powerful.  No one is more powerful than you are. No one has greater power than you do. You are powerful. You are immensely powerful. Nothing is more important than what you have the power to do.

The King of kings and Lord of lords says to you, "You… Come, you that are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; for I was hungry and you gave me food, [Jesus says these words to you] I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me." Those are Jesus’ words spoken to you. You have the power to feed and clothe and care for Jesus, Christ the King. You have that power. That is power to change the world.

Truly, Jesus says, whenever you do these things to the least of these who are members of my family, you do them for me.

It does not take political status to be powerful, nor great wealth, nor even strength. We tend to think of power as control, dominance. Ezekiel is pretty clear on how God views that sort of human power. Today’s readings are not just reminders of our power; God’s power is very prominent in all three Scripture lessons. "The fat and the strong I will destroy," says the Lord God through the prophet Ezekiel. I will destroy those who abuse human power.  "I will feed them with justice." Justice. Just think about how true justice might affect most of those whom the world views as powerful.

I looked up the word "power" in the dictionary. Its primary meaning is "the ability to do or act; capability of doing or accomplishing something."

That’s all. The ability to do or act. It doesn’t take any special position, extraordinary strength or skill to be powerful. Power is the ability to do or act. And to wield immense power within the Kingdom of God all it takes is a desire to love and serve God and the ability to act upon that desire. The ability to offer food to one of the least of God’s family. The ability to offer hospitality to a stranger. The ability to care for the sick and suffering. To clothe the naked. To just be present with those who are enslaved in any way. We have that power. All of us. And what an awesome power it is. Because our actions offered to God… are also actions offered with God… and they become actions that bring God into the world. The things we do for the least of God’s children… are things we do for Christ the King… and they are things that make Christ’s Kingdom real in the world. We have the power to build the Kingdom of God. Each of us is powerful, indeed. Each one of us, without exception, is immensely powerful.

Most of you know that I consider myself an environmentalist. It’s possible to be an environmentalist without being a Christian, but for me the two are intertwined. And, as a Christian environmentalist, I think it’s a sin to waste power. I’m talking now about the literal sort of power that Bangor Hydro supplies. It’s not a sin to use power, but it’s a sin to waste power. It’s a sin to waste power. To squander it; to treat it as cheap or take its value lightly; to be indifferent to what power can do. It is a sin to let power trickle away, leaving undone the great good power has the potential to do.

You are a very powerful person. Just remember, if a cheese ball has the power to influence, however slightly, the course of just one life, think of what power you have when you act in God’s service. Please God, I pray you will not waste your power.

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