“Nearly all men can stand adversity,
but if you want to test a man’s character, give him power.”  ~Abraham Lincoln

We have a mantra in our society: power corrupts. Lord Acton, 19^th-century British historian noted that “absolute power corrupts absolutely.”[1] He recognizes this in examining the travesties of the Inquisition, in which religiously zealous people of faith took it upon themselves to dictate the “kingdom of God” on their own terms. The result? Bloodshed, torture, travesty, evil.

From the beginning in the book of Genesis, we see what occurs when we human beings take it upon ourselves to make judgment calls without God’s input and guidance: Adam, Babel, Saul, David, Samson, Jacob, Jonah, Judah. The list could go on and on. In fact, you could call the entirety of the Holy Scriptu…