Midweek Faith Lift
The Power of Spiritual Authority
Rev. Deb Hill-Davis
July 2, 2025
Spiritual Passages
June 20, 2025
A Whopping Act of Kindness
It all started as an outing for Whoppers. Mykale Baker, fresh from his high school graduation, stopped by the Georgia Burger King where he works to grab some burgers for his family. Seeing how short-staffed his coworkers were, Mykale jumped back behind the counter to assist - on his day off, no less, still wearing a crisp button-down shirt and all of the medals he’d earned at the ceremony hours earlier. A customer, Maria Mendoza, saw him in the drive-thru and her “whole world froze for a minute.” Her daughter, Daisy, had just graduated from the same high school as Mykale. Inspired by his generous spirit, Mendoza posted a TikTok of Mykale at work, singing to himself as he filled bags of fries. After more than one million people watched it, Mendoza set up a GoFundMe page for Mykale's college expenses that has raised nearly $200,000.
Spirit shows up everywhere and, if we recognize It, our lives can be blessed in every day moments. For Mykale, the holy place was in a drive-thru window. Mykale’s choice to - even when he didn’t have to - reminds us that the most sacred acts are often spontaneous, humble, and quite human. Mykale's moment of generosity, witnessed and amplified by others, became a ripple of grace: a reminder that service multiplies, love uplifts, and the smallest kindness can open doors we never imagined.
This is what standing in Spiritual Authority looks like! And this is what it DOES NOT LOOK LIKE!
Three religious leaders were standing before the altar, demonstrating their humility by saying that, before God, they were nothing. Shortly, a low acolyte of the church approached and started confessing that he, too, was nothing. When the three bishops heard him, one elbowed the other and said, "Look who thinks he's nothing."
We laugh, but true spiritual authority, a significant aspect of spiritual Power, is to show up with humility and self-mastery as we explored during our last time together. When we stand in true spiritual authority we show up with our authentic, divine and fully human selves. It may not always sound pretty or feel comfortable but it is powerful. The prerequisite for standing in true spiritual authority is to stand in true service to a larger purpose, a higher reality than just our human agenda. It is “Practicing the Presence” at the highest possible level or vibration that we are capable of in each now moment. It is not something we “rehearse” or plan, it is a consciousness that we practice in prayer so that we are ready when the situation calls for us to show up in service in spiritual authority, much like Mykale in our opening story.
Rev. Linda references the words of our Peace Song, which begins with a very powerful affirmation that invites spiritual authority, “Let there be!” Let there be peace on earth and let it begin with me!” She writes in Divine Audacity
“Let there be” and “Let me be” are not pleas for another power, God to act or cause us to act. Rather they are an inward call for spiritual authority. It is not a request but a command. It is a powerful assertion of authority. It is the cry of the creator, “Let there be light”—and it is our creative command to some spiritual ability—“Let me be the light!” (p. 116)
Our statement of spiritual authority is to begin with “Let me be!” and then listen to the inner voice of Spirit for what we are called to be in that very moment, even when it is risky, when it is difficult, even when we would rather not speak up, stand up or show up. And it requires us to let go of outcomes, something that is not easy to do.
I had the honor to witness this in action during our recent Unity Conference in Kansas City. The current Chair of the Board of Unity World Headquarters is Rev. Ken Daigle who was also a classmate and my “school husband” when we lived together on campus. Rev. Ken now is the senior minister at Unity of San Francisco and had two young children with his husband J.D. He is a busy man! During the Q & A time regarding the potential acquisition of UWM by UWH, someone, a minister, stood at the microphone and read his statement outlining a position he believed that both organizations should adopt regarding the present political issues in our country. He stated that he had sent his position statement to both leaders, Rev. Ken and Rev. Valerie, Chair of the UWM Board and that he had heard nothing in response. He demanded an apology.
The room grew silent and the tension was palpable. Rev. Valerie stated that she had received it, had not responded to him and immediately apologized. Now at this point, Rev. Ken had a number of options. He could have deferred the question/demand because it was not at all relevant to the issue at hand (the merger). This would not however, address the underlying issue, which he then addressed with truth and spiritual authority. Rev. Ken stated first that he had a deep respect for the questioner. He indicated that he had read and used many of the materials and ideas that the questioner had written and shared with the Unity community. Ken then went on to state that he had received the email with the statement and that he had in fact responded with an email that included two things; suggestions of possible edits and the need to take this to the entire Board for their input and review. Ken then indicated that he never had a response to his emails and offered to resend them to clarify if needed. It got really quiet again and the questioner dropped the issue and walked away from the mic.
Rev. Ken had poured months of energy, thought and prayer into the details of this possible acquisition along with both Boards. Their committed service was evident as we all had a 14-page printed document with answers to our many questions. Rev. Ken stood in spiritual authority and spoke truth to someone who wanted to grandstand and stir up conflict. And he did it in a calm, but very firm manner. The outcome was a shift in energy away from “complaint” to genuine curiosity about how this change might look. I was so proud of and heartened by Rev. Ken’s response and how the Conference body responded. There were no “taking sides” just sincere questions. Spiritual Power, Self-mastery and Spiritual Authority were evident and hugely powerful. Thank you Rev. Ken, thank you God!
When I was reflecting on this incident of spiritual authority from a spiritual perspective, it was evident that our human ego is always with us, even as we engage with each daily. It takes a strong ego to stand on the stage and stand in truth and spiritual authority. It takes a strong ego to stand up and demand an apology in such a public way. Why is one an expression of spiritual authority and the other a demonstration of willfulness run amuck? The difference is in the motivation and the humility of service. We do need a strong ego and equally strong humility to put our ego in service to a higher purpose or good. When we do that, we can let go of attachment to outcome and we don’t need to have a public or private hissy fit when it is not what we wanted.
Whenever we demand anything we can be assured we are not standing in spiritual authority. We truly cannot demand that the Universe or anyone else grant what we demand or show up in the way we want them to show up. Jesus said, “Whatever you ask for in prayer you receive.” He didn’t say that when you create a laundry list of your demands and voice them publicly, you will receive! Interesting! Something to remember when we are in prayer!
So what do we remember when we are in prayer, when we are in a situation that calls on our capacity to stand in truth, in “spiritual authority?” Well, the answer came to me in my morning prayer/meditation time from Neil Douglas Klotz’s book, The Aramaic Jesus Book of Days. Chapter 5 is called “The Heart of Possibilities” and it begins with “abwun d’bashmaya” the first line of the Lord’s Prayer. He recommended that when drawn to this chapter, begin to “sense and visualize a larger life unfolding around you.” It is in this sense of a larger “Reality” that we are grounded in our spiritual authority. He writes, “Each of us, both individually and collectively, unfolds a world through our shared human ruha’s consciousness.” What kind of world do we unfold?
If you recall, I shared awhile back that the larger “Reality” or Breath of Life is the ruha or larger consciousness in which we are contained. Everything in Aramaic is a verb, a being-ness, not a thing or static noun. Our individual breath, or naphsha is contained as individual energy in this larger Reality or ruha. This is a dynamic, ongoing existing that is always there, always a part of us that also holds and contains us and we are part of ruha. Ultimately, when we speak Truth, when we stand in our Spiritual Authority and Power, we are fully human while also fully anchoring our individual naphasha or breath in the larger Reality or ruha from which we can never really be separated. When we call on our spiritual authority, our “Let there be” we are in service to that higher “Reality”
Let there be light, let me be the bearer of light, as I stand in truth in Spiritual Authority.
May it be so…
Blessings on the Path,
Rev. Deb