What is power?

Just because we are powerful does not mean that we
must use that power.

This bus here rocks. Totally.
It's super warm in the winter, has great torque on hills -
filled to the gills at United States Military Academy with football fans or in Cornwall going up 9W S past the Towne Houses loaded with bubbling middle schoolers on a hot spring day. It tracks great on 84 in the midst of the heavy duty 5 pm truck races and handles the broken streets of Newburgh like a Baptist Choir Director. It's got 153, 658 miles on it. It's a Freightliner with either a Cummins ISB or a Caterpillar 3126 Diesel engine in it. It's really powerful, power to transport your children to school and home and activities, safely. To have the bus ride be a safe part of the school day, included in the learning and growing experience - that's power, the power of the School District, the Bus Co., the mechanics, the dispatchers, the safety managers and the drivers.

True warriors, especially a Bodhisattva warrior, those cultivating awakening, compassion, mercy and courage, will I believe say that being powerful is about mindfulness, awareness, noticing what is and being with it.

Yes, that is different than threat assessment and response. Must we always be threatened? Is that my identity? To have an opponent? Fundamental Chinese martial art allows for sinking into the earth, being rooted like a tree, relaxed and quiet. No roid rage football players there - only standing, completely still and silent. And in the silence, there is power. In that power is grace and forgiveness.

http://www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/2003/iraq/heroes/chrishughes.html Is an example where Lt. Col. Chris Hughes, early in the Iraq campaign, averted a debacle in An Najaf. Would his leadership be able to prevail. The world seems bent on crucifixion, on chaos, conflict and vain shows of power.