Exousia…

… is our word for the week. When we speak, act, relate out of exousia, we are doing so from the very essence of our being. We are acting out of the passion of authenticity.
The source is deeper and wider than ourselves however – it taps into the transcendent mystery of the universe.
Exousia is what makes Martin Luther King’s “I have a dream” speech so great.
Exousia is what gives continuing muscle to Kevin Rudd‘s Sorry Day action.
Exousia is what gives power to the mild-mannered mum who advocates for the resources her special needs child requires to thrive.

Exousia is a Greek word that is frequently found in the Gospels of the Christian tradition – often translated as “authority” (as in Mark 1:22  ^“They were astounded at his teaching, for he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.” (NRSV)

A lot of Aussies, with our traditional larrikin zeitgeist, dislike the notion of  “authority” – ghosts and images of  “whipping parsons”, wowsers,  the nanny state  and Big Brother abound.

“Authenticity” on the other hand, draws us like bees to a honey pot. There is a hunch that not all authority is authentic!

If I had my way, the Koine Greek term exousia would be translated “authentic” where it appears in the gospels.