Love and Power

Father Richard Rohr once said that “only love can safely handle power."

Allow that to sink in for a moment.

Love and power: rarely do we hear those words spoken in the same breath. Rarely do political candidates vying for the most powerful job in the world speak of love, and they’re almost never asked about it. I thought about this as I watched the final Republican debate leading up to this week's first presidential caucus in Iowa.

Love and power. We are not accustomed to our leaders talking about love. In fact, I think many people might feel uncomfortable if they did. They might think, "I'm not looking for that from my president, my governor, my senator, or congressperson. Give me someone tough, strong, and opinionated. After all, the world is precarious, right?"