Power, Fear and $600,000

I’m pondering again… Thomas More spends much of the play denying his own importance, literally. “I’m not as important as you think I am…” he says after a visit from King Henry. Dude, the king came to you! You are important. Suck it up. People who get regular visits from royalty are not only important but they have an influence on the events around them--whether they want it or not. Thomas More definitely does not want it. He’s not dumb. The man knows he’s influential but he refuses to be influential. The guy’s got juice but says ‘I cannot and will not rule my king.’ Recently I heard a wonderful service from Vicar Robert Morrison. He said that most people are afraid of their own power. They are reluctant to embrace their abilities and talents. Is More afraid of his own power? If yes, Why??? He’s wealthy (approximately $600,000 a year take home in today’s money), intelligent, happily married, and well-respected. I know what you’re thinking; give me that kind of terror. I suppose the obvious answer is that he doesn’t want to make psycho Henry mad and get his head chopped off. Vicar Morrison encouraged his listeners to imagine a world where people were unafraid of their own power, a world where people embraced it and allowed it to flourish. What if Thomas More had been unafraid? He might have prevented his own downfall and denied the world a Catholic Saint and the Anglican Church. That’s an interesting idea to ponder-see how this all started? In stage life… we wouldn’t have a wonderful play opening on December 2^nd.