God's Power - Both Mighty and Gentle

The seas have lifted up, Lord,
the seas have lifted up their voice;
the seas have lifted up their pounding waves.
Mightier than the thunder of the great waters,
mightier than the breakers of the sea—
the Lord on high is mighty. - Psalm 93:3-4

As we sat on the beach yesterday and watched the pounding surf, it’s not hard to imagine how the ancients saw the mighty power of God. Those continuous waves kept rolling in, as they always do, reminding us of the sheer force of God.

And yet one way to think of God’s power is not in the abundance of it but in it’s gentle and continuous presence. Instead of focusing on the loud, crashing tide, we can also feel the slow current underneath that slowly wears down the rough edges into something beautiful. Google ‘sea glass’ and you’ll see. Perhaps we should each be grateful that God doesn’t just crash down on us like a tidal wave, but instead gently smooths down our rough edges over time.

Take a few moments to reflect on these words by a contemporary theologian writing about God’s power. Do you know this side of God’s power? Are there places in your life where you need it today?

God is not the supreme will-to-power over others the but the supreme will-to-community in which power and life are shared. To speak of God as that ultimate power whose being is in giving, receiving, and sharing love, who gives life to others and wills to live in community, is to turn upside down our understandings of both divine and human power. The reign of the triune God is the rule of sovereign love rather than the rule of force. - Daniel Migliore