After passing through what has been termed, "the 'Me' Generation," to speak of the wisdom in giving power to one's self sounds, at the very least, decedent. Self-absorbed and spiritually myopic are other terms that come to mind. But what are the alternatives? Consider the following thought.

"They are weak, but he is strong."

"There is no true, lasting, fear and limitation transcending power without love. True love 'trumps' fear, which is likened to an 'Off' switch to power."

This string of seven words are sung by millions of sincere people, mostly children, in first verse of the song, "Yes Jesus Loves Me," which goes like this:

Jesus loves me this I know
For the Bible tells me so
Little ones to him belong
They are weak but he is strong

In a third person voice, the lyrics refer to "little ones" who are weak. Yet, the initial inference is that Jesus loves me... the one singing the song. So while the words speak to little one's who are weak--hard to argue--the perception is that "I am weak." This is arguable. The perception of weakness -- and I'm not talking physical -- is further solidified in one's mind by saying that the Bible tells me so. End of story. And for many, end of question.

This observation is not meant as a criticism of the Bible, Jesus, Christianity, or children. It doesn't question the truth of the song's declaration of Jesus' love, for children, and for everyone, whether they are believers or non-believers, Christian or otherwise. It happens to be a good example of how perceptions of powerlessness are inculcated into human minds and then forgotten. If they are not periodically re-examined, our perceptions will be played out in our behavior, communication, body language, and attitudes over the course of a lifetime.

The Power Dimension

The Fresh fact is that like love, which emanates from a dimension somewhere within the "center" of our being, and radiates outward, so does power. Indeed, love and power are synonymous. If we truly connect with one (love), we get the other (power). There is no true, lasting, fear and limitation transcending power without love. True love "trumps" fear, which is likened to an "Off" switch to power. There is no such thing as total lovelessness, but in a state of virtual lovelessness, one would feel powerless. One's dominant sense of self would be inability, in contrast to ability.

Fresh thought encourages each individual to know their inherent power, and natural ability to use it with love to create and sustain meaningful experiences. If we simply accept--like a child accepts a parent's words as truth--that we have natural the ability to change our life in wonderful, meaningful ways, then the way to do so will become evident to us in the normal course and flow of our lives. We will erect and place fewer obstacles to our own "salvation" in our path.

Will a life of greater ease, abundance, pleasure, and peace, and less strife, struggle, disease, and war be less challenging or meaningful? I suggest that this would not be so. There are so many people who, for various reasons, do believe they are weak, not yet knowing they are strong. Indeed, their hunger, hopelessness, and disease makes weakness a visceral reality that dominants the mind. However, the visceral reality is but a reflection of our individual and collective state of mind. Once we awaken to this simple truth alone, a veritable ocean of new possibilities will be revealed.

Now that would be Fresh!

For those interested in the background of the hymn "Yes Jesus Loves Me," it originally appeared as a poem inside a novel, Say and Seal, (1859) co-authored by Anna B. Warner (1820-1915) with her sister Susan (1819-1885). In the book, the words are spoken to a dying child, and in that context, there is another stanza not commonly found in hymnals:

Jesus loves me! Loves me still,
Though I’m very weak and ill,
That I might from sin be free
Bled and died upon the tree.

If you've never heard the song, you can listen to it by following the link.

Copyright © 2002 Adam Abraham All rights reserved.

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