In the Church year tomorrow is “Reign of Christ Sunday” or “Jesus is King Sunday’. Both of these titles focus in on the royal aspect of Jesus’ character. There are many great things about this portrayal of Jesus and it is a wonderful time to sing all the hymns with much fanfare. Although with Covid-19 we are not singing so much these days, so maybe this year it is more majestic and “fancy”.
I have always found this an odd Sunday because Jesus did not ask to be royal, to be treated like royalty or any of this fanciness that comes along with it. I am in the midst of reading a book by Donald Miller “Searching for God Knows What” and one point that Miller makes repeatedly that being a Christian is not about following a set of rules or a magical formula. He talks about how being a Christian is about having a relationship with Jesus. The whole point of Jesus’ theology is interaction and community.
Extending Miller’s idea, I would argue that Jesus is not about being a king, but being a friend. Jesus’ story has nothing to do with being rich; he was born in a stable. Jesus was not rich; he was a carpenter. Jesus was not buried in decorum, but in a borrowed tomb. As a result, I wonder where “Reign of Christ” Sunday comes from? After some research I discovered that it is a relatively recent addition to the church calendar, coming in 1925 through Pope Pius XI. There are several reaons for it, of course acknowledging Jesus as a ruler, and bringing an eschatological sense of the end time, fitting for the end of the Christian year.
While I do take issue with the royal, kingly, nature of this Holy Day, I do appreciate having a day to celebrate Jesus’ counter-cultural leadership, and the way he chose to live. This leadership, and guidance is an important part of my spiritual life. It is a nice way of celebrating his personhood, the early church, and the church today.