Power, Justice, Love, Dinner

What is needed is a realization that power without love is reckless and abusive and that love without power is sentimental and anemic. Power at its best is love implementing the demands of justice. Justice at its best is love correcting that which stands against love.

—Martin Luther King, Jr., Where Do We Go from Here: Chaos or Community? (1967)

It is as though [David, the psalm's writer] would say, "The Lord indeed makes a most unusual warrior of me and arms me quite wonderfully against my enemies. I thought that He would have put armor on me, placed a helmet on my head, put a sword into my hand, and warned me to be cautious and give careful attention to the business at hand lest I be surprised by my enemies. But instead He places me at a table and prepares a splendid meal for me, annoints my head with precious balm or (after the fashion of my country) puts a wreath on my head as if, instead of going out to do battle, I were on my way to a party or a dance. And so that I may not want anything now, He fills my cup to overflowing so that at once I may drink, be happy and of good cheer, and get drunk. The prepared table, accordingly, is my armor, the precious balm my helmet, the overflowing cup my sword; and with these I shall conquer all my enemies." But is that not a wonderful armor and an even more wonderful victory?

—Martin Luther, "Psalm 23, Expounded One Evening After Grace at the Dinner Table" (1536)