Power has at least two ways of working, by force or by persuasion. In the greek, Mark Vernon tells us there are two words (or four) most used for power in the bible, and the one used of Jesus (dunamis) is the power that flows and draws; the power in love, beauty and truth. The other word is the power of authority (exousia), the power of the powers in this earth that exert authority.

I have followed Mark from science cleric to atheist to Buddhist back to mystic Christian. It has always been at a distance, but recently, he has started making more sense.

In this podcast, he ends by critiquing Christianity as falling into the law based authority camp or the camp that grasps at the draw of beauty, the finaty, and finds the eternal. He is drawn to places, to people, and liturgy, that are alluring rather than compel.

Auguries of Innocence

By William Blake

To see a world in a grain of sand
And a heaven in a wild flower,
Hold infinity in the palm of your hand
And eternity in an hour.

https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/43650/auguries-of-innocence

Auguries are portends or foretellings so the poem looks at the humanity that reacts to hurt and sees it as pointing forward to innocence or maybe to a restoration of innocence. Compassio then points to an other, draws us to innocence, our reactions to injustice, the caging of the beautiful and hamstringing of the strong point to a purer humanity. They draw us to beauty, truth and good.