authority

Thanks to my beautiful and lovely roommate, Becca, for introducing me to the below quote.

The Authority of Compassion

Mostly we think of people with great authority as higher up, far away, hard to reach. But spiritual authority comes from compassion and emerges from deep inner solidarity with those who are “subject” to authority. The one who is fully like us, who deeply understands our joys and pains or hopes and desires, and who is willing and able to walk with us, that is the one to whom we gladly give authority and whose “subjects” we are willing to be.

It is the compassionate authority that empowers, encourages, calls forth hidden gifts, and enables great things to happen. True spiritual authorities are located in the point of an upside-down triangle, supporting and holding into the light everyone they offer their leadership to. - Henri Nouwen

I was thinking about this in the context of some personal issues in my life at the moment but as I was typing this to post here, it struck me just now that this is why I give my life to Jesus. I gladly submit myself to His authority…because of His compassion, deep love and willingness to identify with us, with me. Nouwen writes “The one who is fully like us, who deeply understands our joys and pains or hopes and desires, and who is willing and able to walk with us, that is the one to whom we gladly give authority and whose ’subjects’ we are willing to be.” I think of an earlier post. This is why I give my life to Christ, and this is why I have struggled with “authority” in my life over the years…it is a rare person who commands my authority, commands it by his or her very nature…I think this quote encapsulates many of the qualities of someone in authority that demand my respect. When I meet someone like the above, it is beyond easy to align myself with them and any authority they may have. I willingly submit myself to it because I trust them. I trust them because of their compassion, because they understand, because they choose to walk through the same fires and trials. Because they identify.