The Power of Love and Love of Power
By Shiva
@Shiva49 (26202)
Singapore
June 16, 2021 9:21am CST
“When the power of love overcomes the love of power, the world will know peace,” is a quote attributed to well-known artist Jimi Hendrix.
That is profound and, also, we seem to be inborn with that simple tenet. However, the world has moved away from love and into hatred, bigotry, and hypocrisy. We seem to accept the present state of affairs as a fact of life, even a natural trait, to protect our turf.
Nothing touches our inner core than love and it is the most natural of behavior, feelings, and emotions. God is love. We are familiar with “God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him”.
However, we ring fence our love within immediate family and then as it expands we have many a barrier that excludes the vast majority. We forget all yearn for love and when we hold our hand out with love, countless will stretch to hold it.
The main enemy is, of course, our love of power, greed, selfishness and hypocrisy.
As long as we are imprisoned by a narrow outlook, the greatest of powers that transcends all barriers, love, will remain a nice concept to only pay only lip service to.
What do you think will make us put the “horse before the cart”?
Image: Power of Love from free image site Pixabay
13 people like this
12 responses
@RebeccasFarm (86754)
• United States
20 Jun 21
I am not much for the love issue as it has not solved a thing in this world
2 people like this
@innertalks (21024)
• Australia
21 Jun 21
@Shiva49 Yes, but even the lowly can love, and they need no shiny armour to do so, just a shiny heart.
I added my piece here, because it is love that solves all problems, I think, and when love is not present, all problems then begin.
@Shiva49 (26202)
• Singapore
21 Jun 21
@innertalks Thanks Steve for your input as always.
The state of the world tells us love is suppressed while the opposites run riot.
The knight in shining armor alludes to one real leader stepping in to right the wrongs, win our hearts, do the right thing, get our priorities right.
Till that time the lowly have to keep pegging away, chipping away at the injustices, never giving up.
1 person likes this
@Shiva49 (26202)
• Singapore
21 Jun 21
I think it is more due to our getting carried away with the love of power.
We need to bring love and compassion into our decision making including live and let others live.
Unity in diversity is written all over nature but we tend to stick out like a sore thumb in this regard too.
1 person likes this
@lovinangelsinstead21 (36850)
• Pamplona, Spain
18 Jun 21
Love moves the world around it always will.
2 people like this
@lovinangelsinstead21 (36850)
• Pamplona, Spain
19 Jun 21
@Shiva49
Totally agreed. Without love we are going nowhere fast.
2 people like this
@dgobucks226 (34368)
•
16 Jun 21
It seems many human beings fall victim to some of the Seven Deadly Sins. Maybe it's a test from God which few are capable of passing. Who really knows? All we can do is speculate why as you do. We are formed in God's image but we do not have God's capacity to resist temptations. For we are not God. One's character defines our behavior and everyone's character is not mass produced in an assembly line to love everyone. We are distinct humans not all pure of heart. It would be wonderful if we "all" could follow The Beatles mantra, "All We Need Is Love."
But unfortunately that is idealistic as is your question not realistic...
2 people like this
@Shiva49 (26202)
• Singapore
16 Jun 21
I feel most want to follow a path of love, at least a middle path to keep the thought of love at the back of the mind though getting carried away. To err is human after all.We are paying a very high price in terms of human lives by keeping love at the back burner.
I have been taking a view we are misled by a minority, while the majority remains disunited, or give the benefit of doubt to the minority, who dictate our agenda.
Having been given the necessary inner knowing, prompts, we still restrict our love while our creator's love shines forth all the time.
Maybe a shift in consciousness could happen before we inch towards self-destruction.
2 people like this
@dgobucks226 (34368)
•
18 Jun 21
@Shiva49 Hope springs eternal. No matter how desperate a situation seems hope is always possible.
2 people like this
@Nakitakona (56302)
• Philippines
16 Jun 21
Ever since the world begun, the love of power existed. Peace is short-lived if there's.
But it's never too late. Start it within yourself, within your family and will radiate to the community, to the country, to the world
2 people like this
@Shiva49 (26202)
• Singapore
17 Jun 21
Yes, Mahatma Gandhi said eloquently "Be the Change You Want to See in the World".
It is time we moved on to the power of love - how many lives we could touch positively in our lives. It is not easy by any means as our leaders divide us into watertight compartments.
We need to break free from the shackles that hold back our love.
2 people like this
@Nakitakona (56302)
• Philippines
17 Jun 21
@Shiva49 That's true. But only a handful have done it.
2 people like this
@prashu228 (37526)
• India
16 Jun 21
I agree love conquers everything, but unfortunately as you mentioned it is occupied with many things these days
2 people like this
@prashu228 (37526)
• India
16 Jun 21
@Shiva49 and the fire can burn us anytime.. people just forget it
2 people like this
@cherigucchi (14879)
• Philippines
16 Jun 21
As what I believe, "love conquers all."
2 people like this
@BelleStarr (61047)
• United States
22 Jun 21
I don't know that those in power will ever put love first, they worship power and not people.
2 people like this
@Shiva49 (26202)
• Singapore
22 Jun 21
It is because our leaders are politicians and die as politicians.
I have felt their priority is self, family, party, and last the people who elected them.
The one real leader that we had recently was Nelson Mandela who knew it was for others to run with the baton after he did what he could and set an example.
2 people like this
@innertalks (21024)
• Australia
16 Jun 21
"When the last tree is cut down, the last fish eaten, and the last stream poisoned, you will realize that you cannot eat money." ... Native American saying.
This saying could also apply to love.
"When the last tree is cut down, the last fish eaten, and the last stream poisoned, you will realize that you have not loved, lovingly."
We do not love for love's sake, but for power's sake, as that saying by Jimi Hendrix says too.
@innertalks (21024)
• Australia
17 Jun 21
@Shiva49 Yes, some young people seem to want to get on the bandwagon of climate change, but they usually use the same old horse to try to push that wagon along from behind too, rather than letting a new horse pull it directly from the front too.
1 person likes this
@innertalks (21024)
• Australia
17 Jun 21
@Shiva49 While democracy is so solidly set up, with only those who toe the line who can enter the fray, any change will be a long way off still, I think, unless some young person starts their own party, and gets plenty of support behind them.
@Shiva49 (26202)
• Singapore
17 Jun 21
@innertalks One change I can see in India, where I am now, is the youth realize the fault lines in the earlier method of governance and politics. It is more bottoms up now, by gauging the needs and aspirations of society than the top down where leaders decided by themselves.
Then the move to e-governance that makes decisions transparent and shuts out loopholes that made corruption a way of life.
Technology has made poorer countries catch up with the rest and reduce bureaucratic bottlenecks.
The one issue that remains is the festival of democracy, that most are proud of, has meant it is politics 24/7 - oppose what you supported when in power, and root for what you opposed earlier. No principles with each outdoing another to dole out freebies. They move so far left to an extent, there is nothing left for the future generations!
I can see the frenzy to get to power by hook or crook rising to a crescendo when elections near!
1 person likes this
@janethwayne (5193)
• Philippines
18 Jun 21
With love peace will always be there.
2 people like this
