Use human misery and the difficulties that come to any life in any time to distort the real purposes of God. There is more to life than physical sustenance. The kind of food that strengthens us for healthy and strong discipleship, stewardship and servant-ministry. Those who have been most disturbed by the kind of inclusive nature of our denomination and the words of our previous Presiding Bishop about their being no outcasts in our church have not been those who are materially starved, but those who are spiritually starved. Jesus didn t fall for it and cave into temptation to live by bread alone.
Power can be heady stuff.
The dark side of history as well as the darkest side of individual human lives are the direct result of grasping for power or abusing power. When we talk of people in places of power like our government or people in places of power like husbands and wives to children, we are talking about a fertile field for temptation and the abuse of power. I doubt there are very few in se in positions of power be it corporate or family or education or church that would not agree that power should be exercised with caution. It is exactly in these situations that we find the most blatant and astounding abuses of power. All were and continue to be rationalized by those who have committed the abuse of power.