Christ the King (34th Sunday)

Christ the King
November 26, 2006

"I am the Alpha and the Omega... the one who is and who was and who is to come, the almighty... the firstborn of the dead and ruler of the kings of the earth..." (Revelations 1:5-8) "My kingdom does not belong to this world." (John 18:33-37)

This is the "last" Sunday in the sacred cycle of the liturgical year. We are directed to the final goal of history, Christ's "enthronement" in the kingdom of God. Monarchs in antiquity were universally believed to have divine origins and authority. In Jesus' time the Roman emperor was addressed as "Lord", "Savior" and "son of God", as acts of piety and pledges of loyalty and allegiance.

Although we have formally rejected this idea, consider how we endow our religious leaders, presidents, entertainment, and sports figures with godlike or demonic qualities. We "love" or "hate" them and argue knowingly about their personal merits and demerits without ever having had any personal contact with them. We seem to be fascinated by the power which goes with wealth and fame, identifying closely with it and distancing ourselves from its darker side.

Jesus consistently described himself and the kingdom of heaven as very different from these "kingdoms" of wealth, power and fame. He had very little interest in establishing a religious organization, cultivating a wide audience of followers, or taking political or economic advantage of his remarkable personal strength and authority. He did however intend that his lordship was to be a direct confrontation of the values of all earthly kingdoms -- including our own -- when they give priority to the wealthy, powerful and beautiful people.

Jesus' "kingdom" is not a place, and we do not have to wait until we die to experience it. It is a state of being in oneness and communion with God's heart and mind. This is a kingdom of relationships and connections which mirror the way the Most High relates to us every moment of our lives. It is found even in this life when we are loving, open to others and nonjudgmental of the beliefs, cultures and lifestyles of others. It is found wherever we worship, pray, work and play together in spirit and truth. It is found whenever we resolve our human differences without resorting to physical or emotional violence. It is found whenever we give priority to the poor and defenseless. It is found whenever we give priority not only to human beings but to all creation.

This kingdom is already here while we are waiting for its perfection and culmination. We cannot wait passively for this moment to occur, as if God is going to rescue us from our ignorance, blindness, anger and fear. It is our task to envision, desire and build this new world now. This is what we mean when we pray "thy kingdom come".