Jennifer Hoffman – The translation of the word ‘meek’ in the bible, where Jesus said ‘the meek shall inherit the earth’, has always bothered me because the church has always used it to imply subservience, obedience, and submission, none of which I am very good at, in the worst and most disempowering context. How can we be both meek and powerful, trying to avoid embodying the worst of the power abuses we see in the world while being grounded in our mastery? The key lies in understanding what this word really means and how it integrates with our power.

The actual word, as written in the original text, was the Greek word, ‘praus’, has a much different meaning than being weak and powerless. It actually means self-controlled or self aware and its context doesn’t imply that we should be quiet and submissive. Rather, it implies the deep, quiet confidence of the self empowered, self aware, and self controlled. Those are the ones who inherit the earth, or who are in control of the energy of the earth.

A ‘meek’ person has inner power and they don’t have to throw their weight around to prove how powerful they are. Self awareness is the most powerful way to be because we know who we are and from that we can embrace our power in a quiet way that doesn’t require others’ acknowledgement, permission, or approval. Continue reading →