Figurehead

Once Jesus was asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God was coming, and he answered, ‘The kingdom of God is not coming with things that can be observed; nor will they say, “Look, here it is!” or “There it is!” For, in fact, the kingdom of God is among you.’ (Luke 17:20-21, NRSV)

Jesus said "It will not come by watching for it. It will not be said, 'Look, here!' or 'Look, there!' Rather, the Father's kingdom is spread out upon the earth, and people don't see it." (GThomas, logia 113).

A friend in a church we served was death on the notion of king, kingdom, lord -- denouncing the terms as not only blatant male chauvinism, but subtle or not so subtle, conscious or unconscious, willful or witless continuation of patriarchalism, and of authoritarianism in general. Use of king, kingdom, lord has been eased in liturgical revision. And sensitive Bible translations use the term “reign of God” or “realm of God.” On that basis, instead of Christ the King Sunday, tomorrow might be Christ the Sovereign Sunday. Doesn’t work well with Handel, but ...

We have no king in America. No king, no queen, no sovereign. Yes, we are fascinated by majestic pageantry and by the princes and their celebrity, swarm them and swoon when they come with their brides to visit. But we don’t have a king, don’t want one. Not even a figurehead.

We have one anyway, a figurehead Sovereign who is even safer and less threatening than a real one. It isn’t meant to be so, in fact, we take the oath of allegiance in our baptismal vows. If our word is true, He is real, is Lord, is King, is Sovereign; and if His word is true, He is Sovereign not of some age to come, but of the here and now, today, this morning, tomorrow and Monday.

His Word is clear: Matthew 5:1-12. Even Luke 6:17-26. He is Sovereign wherever those with ears to hear do the Father’s will. Could He be more Sovereign in Occupy this morning than in the Church? In outrage than in Happy Valley?

Is He King of kings and Lord of Lords, or is it just a song? Are our baptismal vows for real or for church. Perhaps a figurehead is what we want.

TW+