Power Shift
What gives you power?
"But I say to you that listen, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you. If anyone strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also; and from anyone who takes away your coat do not withhold even your shirt. Give to everyone who begs from you; and if anyone takes away your goods, do not ask for them again. Do to others as you would have them do to you." - Luke 6:27-31
There is a shift in power in today's Gospel reading, and it is so subtle, it may not seem obvious at first.
Jesus tells his disciples to use a strategy that is somewhat counter-intuitive. He tells them to give in to those who seek to harm or take advantage of them.
Wait, what?
One interpretation of what Jesus is saying goes like this. When someone strikes you on the cheek, he uses the back of his hand. By turning the other cheek, he cannot strike you again. The power shifts.
I understand that, but what about the coat and one's goods?
It doesn't make sense that letting someone steal from you is a way to shift the power from them to you. But there is a difference when you make the offer.
From time to time at the soup kitchen, we discover someone trying to take something out of the refrigerator, and we tell them all they have to do is ask and we will give it to them.
That changes the dynamic. They usually claim they were not trying to steal, afraid we will kick them out and not give them a meal. But when we offer to give them whatever they need, the situation changes.
They no longer try to steal.
Jesus ends by telling his disciples to treat others the way they would like to be treated, and that seems easier than letting them steal from us.
I have noticed that the homeless will not let anyone get too close, nor will they put up with someone treating them poorly. It is a defense mechanism. If they let people get away with aggression, they will be subject to abuse themselves on the street.
It takes confidence and strength to treat someone better than they wish to treat you. And it doesn't always end up with that person changing his ways. More often than not, he walks away a victor, in our eyes.
But maybe we leave them with a sense of uncertainty, a curiosity they can't shake. Why would someone treat me better than I treat them?
Does he know something I don't know, or is he just an easy mark?
No one wants to be that, so no wonder it is so hard to do.
More to come...