The language of kingship makes many of us uncomfortable. Christ the King, or Reign of Christ, is a relatively new celebration within the church and this is only the 99th year since its institution. (Reign of Christ. John 18:33-37) It was introduced by Pope Pious XI in response to increasing secularism and the persecution of Christians in Mexico. This was also at a time of great destruction and division after the first world war and peoples on all sides of the conflict had been deeply traumatised and challenged. Possibly this is why it was adopted by several other denominations. Proclaiming Jesus as King, as true ruler of all that was, is and will be, as the true expression of power that was used for healing rather than violent division, was hoped to be a way forward.
You may like to read what I wrote three years ago in response to these readings.
Or you may like to reflect on the Servant King.
To celebrate the Reign of Christ is to be a follower of Jesus the Christ and to join the great chain of longing for the coming of God; to desire to be part of the dream of God - the inbreaking of the kingdom of God here on earth; and the recognising of the glimmer of the divine where ever and when ever it is to be seen. This sounds at first to be quite lovely and poetic and so it is. But it is also subversive and radical and dangerous because it means that current ways of understanding power and its purposes is to be overturned and completely redefined.
To long for the coming of God and the reign of Christ in this world is to critique and subvert current assumptions and aspirations about what power and leadership is and what it is for. Not only in the outside world but within the church and harder still within our most intimate relationships and our own heart! If we are open to the reign of Christ the fully human one who is also the holy one, the suffering and saving one, the one who used his power to heal and restore others to fullness, then we look at the power of leadership through a different lens. Power is not about the ability to amass wealth and influence, nor is it about lineage or privilege, and certainly not control over others. But rather power is the ability and availability to delight in and to celebrate the divine in every part of creation; power is an energy source for empowering others and supporting thriving; power is the desire to bring to fruition the fullness of God’s dream for each and every part of creation including us and our neighbours.
We learn much about the nature of power as expressed in the life, death and resurrection of Jesus by contrasting it with power as used by other leaders and influencers. The ancient forebear of Jesus, King David, used power to satisfy his wants and ambitions even as he tried to also serve God. The result was a compromise that brought suffering to himself and his family and people for generations. The Emperor, King Herod and Pilate – those with power in the time of Jesus, used their power to conquer and plunder, to divide and judge, to rule and suppress. Jesus used his power to heal and to save, to engage and set free, to inspire and challenge.
Giving ourselves over to this great purpose of joining the dream of God, of recognising and birthing the inbreaking of God’s reign here on earth, requires of us ears that can hear, eyes that can see, and hearts that can hope and discern. We need to look for the glimmer of the divine embedded in the ordinary places and people; we need to listen to and for the cracking of the broken vessel and the scratching of new creation waiting to burst forth; and we need to tune our hearts to discerning what is of God rather than what is loudest or most sparkling!?
In such a broken and divided time we need to both perceive the true state of affairs – which requires courage and faith – and to be able to listen to a fainter but more true sound of the kingdom at hand. During times when the news seem alarming and depressing we need to observe more deeply, to see the faults and failings not so much to criticise and feed the fear but to prayerfully, strategically, discern where and when to apply hope and encouragement, and where and when to resist and raise one’s voice. And indeed where and when to practice holy silence and distance, holy waiting for the new seed to unfold and emerge. The lens for such disciplines is surely what and how to best serve the inbreaking of the kingdom of God.
To celebrate Jesus as Christ the King and to hope for the Reign of Christ is to look back to when Jesus walked among us; to look up to the resurrected one at the right hand of God; and to look forward to the one that shall gather all up in the fulfilling of God’s good purposes. Our task is surely to live in the now, the perpetual “already but not yet” of the kingdom, and help recognise, announce and birth the kingdom in our time.
Even so, come Lord Jesus the Christ and open our ears, eyes and hearts that we may discern your kingdom at hand and welcome your reign.
Advent begins this coming week. You may like to consider my Advent course that reflects on the lectionary readings for each week of Advent. If you are a preacher or leader of worship you will want to start the course the week before the First Sunday, Monday 25th November 2024.
Or you may want to consider something completely different - an exploration of incarnation.
This is my work informed by all I have heard, read and experienced. I am indebted to the wisdom of others. This week I am especially grateful to:
A very good background discussion on John 18 by John T Squires: "A kingdom not of this world" www.johntsquires.com
Thanks Sue!