The Lust for Power

The Lust for Power

By E. Stanley Ukeni

Throughout the ages men and women, from all parts of the earth have endlessly plotted and schemed, to enthrone themselves over nations, kingdoms and enclaves. Their Machiavellian designs are all in the vain desire to rule over their peers with pomp and power. Many of these lovers of primacy and prestige ascend the throne temporal authority with their hands still dripping with the mingled tears and blood of martyrs and saints. 

I often wonder why one would seek power so badly that they are willing to slay the many whom they deem to be a hindrance to their bid for glory, and lay to rubbles marvelous edifices in a ‘scorched earth’ terror campaign. It is as though these petty despotic, power hungry, sorts are all deluded by the false belief that their temporal ascendency to the helm of a domain of rule would elevate them above the limited range of their imagination, and accord them legendary immortality.

However, the first thing that these puny autocrats learn, upon their enthronement is that immortality cannot be bought or coerced with brute resolve. It must be earned by the expansion of the imagination beyond the confines of mundane musing and dealing. Those who seek the gifts of the gods must first seek to understand the Creator, and His creation. Sadly, several billions of human beings have lived and perished on this remarkable planet, for millenniums, oblivious to the immeasurable vastness of the universe in which their temporal biosphere maintains an orbit.

It is truly unconscionable that any mortal existence should terminate without the corporeal soul stretching its imagination to gain, even for a moment, a glimpse at the magnificence that lay beyond the planetary biosphere on which he or she exists and is sustained.

Think about it. In the broader scheme of things, of what significance are these Titians of earthly domains, and the overlords of nations, when their spheres of influence are measured against the infinite expanse of the universe.



Well, let me give you an idea of the answer. Even if, by some slimmest chance, a single despot were to manage to attain preeminence over the entire earth, he or she would still be an insignificant mass of Electro-Chemical Carbon based life-form, sustained on a grain of cosmic dust—vastly ignorant of the majestic unseen forces of creation that holds sway over the destiny of the material universe.

Authored by E. Stanley Ukeni, ©2015. All Rights Reserved.