When Athaliah the mother of Ahaziah saw that her son was dead, she proceeded to destroy the whole royal family of the house of Judah. – 2 Chronicles 22:10

Today's Scripture Reading (January 28, 2023): 2 Chronicles 22

CNN's special documentary series "What Happened to America's Mayor" looks at the life and career of Rudy Giuliani, his ascent to power, and then his, at times, seeming demise during the Trump Years. Maybe the one line of the documentary that we all need to hear is that "power changes you." And the words don't just apply to Rudy, but to all of us. Maybe we all question why our politicians do what they do, and often we think that we would do things differently. We would work with politicians from different parties, so why can't they? We would reward good ideas wherever they might arise, so why can't they? And maybe the answer is the same for all of us. We really don't know what we would do because now we don't have the power, but then we would. And power changes us.

We are tempted to wonder about Athaliah's emotional state, or maybe her mental capacity, that she is willing to kill her grandchildren and anyone else who might be in the line of succession to the throne of Judah. As I read the story of Athaliah, I honestly can't imagine a grandmother who would be willing to kill her grandchildren so that she could be Queen. My grandchildren are precious treasures to me. All I want for any of them is the absolute best this life offers. Yet, that is precisely what Athaliah does. She kills anyone who might have reason to claim that she isn't the Queen.

But the real reason why she is willing to do any of this is that power has the capacity to change us in a very fundamental way. Once we have had power of any kind, the human race seems to be willing to do anything to get it back. What was once unthinkable suddenly becomes not only thinkable but a logical response to the situation. We will do anything to keep the power that we have. The story of Queen Athaliah killing members of the Royal Family, including her own children and grandchildren, and some of the seemingly incomprehensible actions of Rudy Giuliani have the same cause; they are a result of power changing us in ways that we could never imagine in the days when we lived without it. The story of Athaliah, as well as the contemporary tale of Rudy Giuliani, are cautionary tales of which we all need to be aware. Only if we remember these stories will we be able to safeguard ourselves from doing the unthinkable in our lives if we ever gain the kind of power that changes us.  

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: 2 Chronicles 23