Hollenbeck for President

Experiencing a peaceful transition of power

05/18/2021

Jn 15:1-8 Jesus said to his disciples: “I am the true vine, and my Father is the vine grower. He takes away every branch in me that does not bear fruit, and everyone that does he prunes so that it bears more fruit. You are already pruned because of the word that I spoke to you. Remain in me, as I remain in you. Just as a branch cannot bear fruit on its own unless it remains on the vine, so neither can you unless you remain in me. I am the vine, you are the branches. Whoever remains in me and I in him will bear much fruit, because without me you can do nothing. Anyone who does not remain in me will be thrown out like a branch and wither; people will gather them and throw them into a fire and they will be burned. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask for whatever you want and it will be done for you. By this is my Father glorified, that you bear much fruit and become my disciples.”

One of the most admirable attributes of America is the peaceful transition of power when we elect the president every four years. In many countries and kingdoms that transition of power does not happen peacefully, but rather by revolution and rebellions, by protests and propaganda, by bloodshed and not the ballot-box. The reason that transition of power happens peacefully here in the United States is because we believe the real power belongs to the people, not to the person in office.

It is not Joe Biden or Donald Trump who is the most powerful man on earth. It is the United States voters who are the most powerful people on earth. President Lincoln said this same thing in his Gettysburg Address: “that government of the people, by the people, for the people shall not perish from the earth.” In other words, power is not personal; it belongs to the people, and that is why transitions of power can be peaceful.

We are undergoing a peaceful transition of power here at Trinity Catholic School as well. Dr. Karen Hollenbeck is handing over the reins of power to Mr. Zach Edwards. And here at Trinity, too, this transition is happening peacefully. Why? Because we know that any power we have does not come from us, but from God. Dr. Hollenbeck put this beautifully in her letter, saying: “I felt called to be a Catholic school principal many years ago, and I feel called to return to the public school system as a counselor at this time.”

In other words, both Dr. Hollenbeck and Mr. Edwards know that the power of being principal is not personal, as if it belonged exclusively to them. Instead, that authority ultimately comes the Almighty, from God, it is a “calling”. It has been such a blessing to see how Dr. Hollenbeck has exercised that authority and power with such grace, dignity, care, and joy. I am going to vote for Karen Hollenbeck for president!

In the gospel today, Jesus reminds his apostles that they cannot do anything without him. That is, all their own apostolic authority and power proceeds from Jesus. Our Lord teaches: “I am the vine, you are the branches. Whoever remains in me and I in him will bear much fruit, because without me you can do nothing.” I think this is something Dr. Hollenbeck understands very profoundly, and something the apostles would understand only slowly.

That is, true power does not come from us: we are the instruments, like musical instruments in a band, like the piano or flute or saxophone. The real source of Power, the real Musician, is Jesus. Or change the metaphor and Jesus is the vine and we are the branches. All our good fruit, all our good music, is produced by him. Whether we are presidents or principals or apostles, power is not personal and that makes its transition peaceful.

Boys and girls, keep this lesson in mind because we all experience transitions of power sooner or later. For example, the eighth graders are going from being the “top dogs” here at Trinity to being the “runt of the litter” in high school. But I hope you don’t let that power of the top grade go to your head. You will lose that power soon, and have to remember that power is not personal, but only comes from Jesus. Fr. Daniel is about to experience the opposite transition. He will go from being an associate pastor to becoming pastor of a parish himself. He will be the big dog at Holy Souls.

This is one of the great struggles – perhaps the greatest struggle of all – of growing older: the transition of power. Our grandparents have handed their roles and responsibilities over to a younger generation, and it is not easy to let go of that power. Sometimes they had to hand over their car keys, and feel like a prisoner in their own home. They feel they are under house arrest. Sometimes they are losing their power to see, or to remember well, or to walk without a cane or have to use a wheelchair.

Perhaps our elderly parents should learn the lesson that Dr. Hollenbeck and Mr. Edwards are teaching us today: the peaceful transition of power. In other words, whatever power we feel we have – as president, principal, pastor or parent – was never really personal. It was never really ours. We are the instruments in God’s great symphony, and Jesus is the Musician, and the Holy Spirit is the wind blowing through the tuba and the trumpet and the trombone. And it is only when we remember that power is not personal that every transition, even the very last transition, can be peaceful.

Praised be Jesus Christ!