SUNDAY BEFORE ADVENT
(Christ the King; the Reign of Christ)
Readings:
Key Verses (using the World English Bible):
Rev. 19:6b-7: “Hallelujah! For the Lord our God, the Almighty, reigns! Let us rejoice and be exceedingly glad, and let us give the glory to him.”
Matt. 25:34-36: “Then the King will tell those on his right hand, ‘Come, blessed of my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you… for I was hungry, and you gave me food to eat. I was thirsty, and you gave me drink. I was a stranger, and you took me in. I was naked, and you clothed me. I was sick, and you visited me. I was in prison, and you came to me.’”
Reflection
Where were you when Paris was attacked on Friday, November 13th? I heard the news in Philadelphia, where I had been catching up with college friends, whom I hadn’t seen in over eight years. Immediately I thought of where I was on September 11th, when, ironically, I was in college with one of those same friends. Moments of sudden tragedy and bloodshed have a way of becoming part of us, snapshots in time that sear themselves into our minds and hearts, resurfacing when we least expect them.
In its wake, the attack on Paris, which claimed about 130 lives, has stirred up tensions worldwide regarding some very delicate and complex issues, such as how to respond to the Islamic State, terrorism, the Syrian refugee crisis, and general opinions about Muslims. France launched an air strike against the Islamic State, bombing one of their main cities. European and American borders began to tighten, with some officials calling for heavier screening of migrants, and others simply refusing them entry. It doesn’t help that one of the terrorists may have entered Europe as a refugee. That reality, in turn, served to fuel popular backlash against Muslim communities, many of which themselves condemn the attacks as contrary to the spirit of Islam.
And into the midst of all of this, comes the last Sunday of the church year, on which we celebrate “Christ the King” or “the Reign of Christ.” The feast day itself is relatively new (from the early 1900s), but mixes in themes of the “End Times” or the “Final Judgment”, which are appropriate to the last Sunday of the liturgical year. Thus today’s appointed Gospel is a vision of that Final Day when Christ the King rewards those who treated strangers with compassion and selflessness, saying that “because you did it to one of the least of these… you did it to me.”
Ouch. For me, if ever a confluence of events serves to test and challenge my faith, this is it—because I am convinced that the general reaction to the Paris attacks is incongruent with the Christian message. The enthroned Christ, who is King of all, clearly encourages his followers to see him, not in that majestic glory, but in the eyes and hearts of the hungry, thirsty, naked, sick, and imprisoned. And this is not the only place he does that—the Parable of the Good Samaritan comes to mind too, where he encourages us to treat an enemy like a friend. And yet, how do we look for Christ in the eyes and heart of someone who is bent on causing harm? Someone who exploits the genuine suffering of others in order to sneak in and kill indiscriminately?
As fewer and fewer people in Western culture identify as religious, maybe these questions don’t matter as much. But for us who follow Jesus, we have to ask ourselves—can we love our enemy without hating our friend? Yes, we must always speak out against discrimination and prejudice. But it takes two to practice nonviolence, and so we also have an obligation to listen to those who have genuine concerns about safety and logistics. And we also have to confront our own hypocrisy. I can’t refuse to admit refugees into my country when my own Savior was once denied shelter. But I also can’t criticize those who would close their borders, when I’m not prepared to open the doors to my own home. Maybe the answers lie in asking the hard questions; in trying sincerely to understand a different point of view; in sifting through what lies at the heart of all of us, and seeking that common ground that enables us to come together, and truly start to act like the blessed ones of the Father.
Prayer of the Day
Almighty and everlasting God,
it is your will to restore all things
in your well-beloved Son,
the King of kings and Lord of lords.
Mercifully grant that the peoples of the earth,
divided and enslaved by sin,
may be freed and brought together
under his most gracious rule;
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and forever.
Amen.
—Collect “Of the Reign of Christ” from the Book of Common Prayer.
Almighty God,
none can make void your sovereign purpose.
Give us faith to be steadfast
amid the tumults of the world,
knowing that your kingdom shall come,
and your will be done,
to your eternal glory;
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and forever.
Amen.
—Collect #2 for the “33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time” from the Book of Common Worship.
Hymn: “At the name of Jesus”
(Words: Caroline Maria Noel, 1817-1877; adapted by Joseph A. Soltero, 2015
Tune: ‘King’s Weston’, by Ralph Vaughan Williams, 1872-1958)
At the name of Jesus, every knee shall bow,
Every tongue confess him King of glory now.
It’s the Father’s pleasure we should call him Lord,
Who from the beginning was the mighty Word.
Humbled for a season to receive a Name
From the lips of sinners, down to whom he came,
Faithfully he bore it spotless to the last,
Brought it back victorious, when from death he passed;
Bore it triumphant with its human light,
Through all ranks of creatures, to the central height,
To the throne of Godhead, to the Father’s breast,
Filled it with the glory of that perfect rest.
Name him, Christians, name him with love as strong as death.
Name with awe and wonder and with bated breath.
He is God the Savior, he is Christ the Lord,
Ever to be worshipped, trusted and adored.
In your hearts enthrone him; there let him subdue
All that is not holy, all that is not true.
Crown him as your Captain in temptation’s hour.
Let his will enfold you in its light and power.
Christians, this Lord Jesus shall return again
With his Father’s glory over earth to reign,
For all wreaths of empire meet upon his brow,
And our hearts confess him King of glory now.
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