The Non-Prophet Corner
“All power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely.” This famous quote of Britan’s Lord Acton expresses a human phenomenon widely visible in the lives of many who hold & exercise political or economic power in our society. This tragic pattern in human behavior should not surprise us. Every human being, at some level of personal life, has experienced the soul corrupting temptations involved in exercising power over others.
Of course, exercising power does not automatically or inevitably bring moral corruption into our lives. Rather, as in the biblical story of Adam & Eve in the Garden of Eden, the temptation to disregard our moral compass is always present when we exercise our God given power. The human power of choice is, in fact
a gift of God for the very purpose of developing our full creative potential. The factor of corruption enters our lives when we ignore our human values – love, compassion, truth-telling, justice, equality, forgiveness.
The claiming and exercise of power in human life is necessary for human development and fulfillment. But the temptation to ignore our moral values or justify our immoral use of power is a constant temptation. When we use our power without moral choice it corrupts our lives and destroys a truly human trustful society.
THE CHOICE IS ALWAYS OURS.