One of the weekly e-mails I receive is entitled Rumors. Ralph Milton, a religious author and member of the United Church of Canada, edits it.

Jim Taylor, who edits his own web site, is also a regular contributor to this particular publication. One of the stories he tells is about a horse, Wotan, who lives down the road from his house. According to Taylor, at twenty years of age Wotan stands eighteen hands tall. To put his height into perspective, consider that the current Guinness Book of World Records holder is an Ontario Clydesdale who stands 20.2 hands high!

Despite his size, however, Taylor indicates that Wotan is amazingly gentle. This is quite a compliment from a person who has been afraid of horses since he was about eight years old and saw a horse kick a man. He never knew if the horse was bad tempered or if the man had mistreated him in some way, but as the man walked behind the horse on a mountain trail, the horse coiled up both hind legs and struck the man squarely in the chest. The blow was sufficient to send him catapulting down a rather steep ravine. The young Taylor ran from the scene as fast as his eight-year-old legs could carry him.

Later in life, he took a group of Scouts to visit the police stables in Toronto. He happened to mention the frightening incident from his past to one of the officers who was guiding the group around.

"They are just so powerful," he said.

The officer replied, "Yes, they are," as the horse behind him nuzzled his ear. "Fortunately," he continued, "they don't know it."

Taylor then goes on to say that most of our images of power and strength come from two sources - monarch and military. There was Henry VIII who executed several wives when they failed to produce a male heir to the throne. Or what about Emperor Nero who burned tarred Christians as torches for his garden parties?

Yes, when we talk about power, it is all too often about its ability to coerce and control. Taylor, however, insists that such a view is both counter to the Scriptures and harmful to those who are less powerful. He closes his article by saying: "Wotan the horse reminds me that it is possible to have power without needing to use it, that it is possible to have power and still be gentle."

How often did Jesus try to tell us the same thing? Didn't he give his life to prove it?

See You in Church,
Pastor Kathleen