Hi everyone,
It’s been quite a week. With the US election going the way it did, with musical and lyrical genius Leonard Cohen passing away, and some guy trying to very foolishly rob a Canadian Tire right by our home and injuring an employee and a police officer in the process, everything seems to be competing for space in my head.
And really, my head feels kind of full right now. Which says a lot, seeing how it’s usually pretty clear of anything.
So how do we manage? How can piece back together our world, our lives, our very identities? How do we remember that hope that we have been talking about the past couple weeks? How can we decide who gets to rule our thoughts?
Perhaps the readings we have for Christ the King Sunday will shed some light for us:
Christ the King Sunday marks the end of the church year. It is the culmination of everything we have learned throughout the seasons, from Advent, to Christmas, to Epiphany, to Lent, to Easter, and throughout the Time after Pentecost. All those seasons paint for us a picture of Christ, who on this coming Sunday, we remember as King.
But King of what?
We don’t really use that term much anymore in a political sense. We have democracies, not monarchies. We have governments and senates, not dictators. We have politicians and prime ministers, not royalty.
Still, with all those listed we think of power. Political, authoritarian, intimidating power that will rule and govern even when not taking the name of a king. Power to control, to punish, to demand certain kinds of behaviour so that order and rule is maintained.
And some say that is what Jesus is: controlling, judging, commanding obedience and discipleship.
However, I think some would be mistaken. As we see in the text, the kind of King Jesus is, is not this kind of king that we would naturally think. The kind of king that Jesus represents, is not the kind of king that we are accustomed to. The kind of king that Jesus promises to be, is not the kind of king that rules with power and authority, but a king that serves out of humble love.
Christ is the king of our hearts, our emotional wellbeing, our thoughts of service and community. Christ resides in our minds, our souls, our very being as the one who empowers us not to rule but to serve. Christ reigns with grace, mercy, love, and forgiveness.
As we look forward to Christ the King Sunday, may we allow God’s reign into our hearts, granting us peace over all the trouble of the world.
Have a great week, everyone!