Dear Friends,
This Sunday is the last in our liturgical year. For the past few Sundays the readings have focused more and more on final things—Jesus and the disciples on their way to Jerusalem, questions of apocalypse and final judgment, a contrast between the way things are now and the hope of the Kingdom of God.
This Sunday points wholly to Christ as King, the everlastingness of our God, the assurance that we follow One who is in charge no matter who our elected leaders are, what our political system is, whether tyrants or benevolent governments rule our land. This is radical: our allegiance is not to the mayor or governor or president or any other leader. No, our allegiance is to the One who was and is and is to come, the Alpha and the Omega, the eternal love whose mercy is everlasting.
This Sunday known as “Christ the King” in many traditions is a relatively recent observation, added to the Christian calendar in the 1920s after the horrors of World War I. As nationalism reared its head across Europe, Pope Pius XI sought to remind Christians that our loyalty is owed first to God and not to any human leader, nor any nation.
We’ve often gotten this mixed up throughout history, allowing our faith to be conformed to political power. Today many churches and Christians in our country focus more on secular politics than a Gospel vision, forcing Jesus into their ideology rather than surrendering their ideology to the radical, grace-filled way of Jesus. This Sunday we see many ways to respond to the mercy of Jesus—cynicism, callousness, selfishness, disdain, and, then, humility. May we be humble enough to listen to and follow Him.
See you in Church!
Faithfully, Suzanne+
P. S. We have Diocesan Convention this weekend! Courtney, Colin, and I will be there with delegates Lelia Fry, Jennifer Reft, and Skip Yates. Two of our young parishioners will join the youth delegation this year—Owen Kasten and Ben Sweeney. It will be fast and furious on Saturday in Rockford as we focus on resolutions and our diocesan strategic plan.
Learn more HERE.