The Power of Vulnerability: A quick thought

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Preparation for Congregational Development involves a fair amount of reading. Here's something I came across in this preparation process today, and I wanted to share it with you all.

Here's a quick quote from an article I'm reading for work. It speaks about power: Unilateral power is the ability to influence others around us, while remaining outside of relationship with them. The author considers the ramifications of this way of being in relationship with others and the world around us. He then goes on to offer a new definition of power: one that re-imagines power in a both / and conception. Power, under this frame is understood as the ability to undergo change or cause it in another. This "both / and" conception opens up entire new possibilities for individuals and their relationships in society.


" is integral to that tradition of Christian theology which has been heavily influenced by this traditional metaphysical outlook . I believe that this conception of power in Christian theology has brought confusion to our understanding of the meaning of Christian character and personality, the nature of salvation, the practice of prayer, and the reality of God. ... If individuals are emergents from their relationships, as i believe they are, then the practice of unilateral power blocks the full flow of energy that could be productive of the emergence of greater-sized individuals from these relationships. Unilateral power also blocks the quality of the gift that others would give to us out of their freedom."

This thought resonates throughout my life right now. Many of the one-on-one meetings I have with others involves a point where they might open up to me, and share significant points in their lives: often, an individual is most passionate about a certain issue due to intense personal involvement with this issue (health care, education, immigration for example, are issues that lend themselves easily to imagine formative experiences).

Thinking more on the lines of being in relationship with others, a friend of mine sent me a great TED talk. Take a look at it.

http://www.ted.com/talks/brene_brown_on_vulnerability.htm

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