The Inner Conqueror
Dear Sutton and Savannah,
I know you have witnessed the initiating energy expressed by your kids. It is a trait in all of us and is linked to survival. Infants have no resources, so they have to get your attention to obtain the things they need to survive, like food, physical contact, sleep and protection. Parents try to corral that energy. Ideally, part of parenting is to help direct the energy in positive and meaningful ways. However, the words “ideally” and “parenting” are not often in the same sentence, or in the same moment!
-Dad
Inside Out Lectionary Letters
Year A - 7th Sunday of Easter (Texts, Art, Hymns)
Readings for Sunday, May 10, 2026
Acts 1:6-14 / Psalm 68:1-10, 32-35 / 1 Peter 4:12-14; 5:6-11 / John 17:1-11
Summary of Psalm 68:1-10, 32-35
In contrast to the high-priestly voice of this week’s Gospel reading, this psalm seems to talk about God in the role of conquering king who destroys enemies and rewards allies.
Scripture as a Mirror of the Soul
If we consider the psalm as a reflection of the inner life, it means there is a voice in us that wishes to conquer and destroy; to reward those who are like us and crush those who are not like us. Inwardly it is a battle with the shadow and anything else that is a threat to the ego. What do we do with the inward warrior/conqueror energy; the part that genuinely wants victory, dominance, and triumph over enemies?
To be certain, there is a healthy form of conquering energy. Without this energy nothing changes; evil is never confronted, boundaries disappear and life becomes stagnant. A healthy dynamic masculine energy protects, initiates, creates order and confronts danger. This is powerfully expressed in verses 5, 6, 9 and 10.
The distorted and immature inner king or conqueror needs enemies, thrives on division and cannot tolerate ambiguity. The person driven by this distortion believes that wholeness comes by destroying what is threatening, inwardly and outwardly. So, shame must be silenced, fear must be crushed, doubt must be eliminated, and the shadow must die. But psychologically, this creates fragmentation. Because what is attacked internally does not disappear—it splits off or fragments. And then the “enemy” is likely to return in disguised forms, such as projection, addiction, anxiety, rigidity, self-righteousness or depression.
The immature king defends ego. The integrated king defends life.
There is a conquering energy within all of us. And its role in the inner journey is integrated when it shifts from a need for domination to a posture of protection and love.