Love Trickling Down

Introduction

<<The Feast of Christ the King is placed at the end of the church year. Next Sunday, is the first Sunday of Advent and of the new church year.>> Every year I find myself saying, “What in the world do you do with this feast of Christ the King? For history has always had its fill of kings. During WW II we had Kings Hitler and Mussolini to contend with. Then we had King Khouneni in Iran and King Saddam in Iraq. And last year we had King Milosovic in Kosovo. Back in Jesus’ day, there was King Herod who slew all the baby boys two years and younger (Mt 2:16). All these dictators terrorized the world and inflicted immeasurable suffering upon it as they played their game: "King on the Hill." Perhaps we really don’t need this feast at all, for we already have a feast of Christ the King on Palm Sunday. The opening words of the old Latin Mass sang out: "Hosanna to the Son of David. Oh King of Israel, hosanna in excelsis." In the context of Holy Week there’s less danger of saying all the wrongs things that could be said when you make Christ king.

No doubt about it, scripture abundantly testifies to the kingship of Christ. Christ is king coming and king going. When he comes into the world, the Angel Gabriel announces that, "The Lord, God, will give to him the throne of David, his father, and of his kingdom there will be no end" (Lk 1:33). At his trial, as he goes out of the world, he is questioned, "Art thou a King?" "Yes,” he affirms, “for this was I born and for this came I into the world" (Jn 18:33-37). Then they took him and made him king on the Hill of Calvary. Over his thorn-crowned head they wrote this inscription: "Iesus Nazarenus, Rex Iudaeorum." "Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews" (Lk 23:38).

King but not king

"Yes but...."

But if he comes as king, it is to put the world straight about kings, kingdoms, and "kinging." So when asked: Are you a king, he answers: "Yes but. Yes but my kingdom is not of this world. Yes but I have no swords or subs or missiles, just legions of angels.. Yes, but my kinging doesn't consist in me being served but in me serving." Jesus does not play their game of “King on the Hill,” and neither should Christians play their game in his name. But we do.

He flees us

After the multiplication of the loaves and the fishes, the crowds wanted to seize Jesus and make him king. But John tells us, “Jesus fled up into the mountains somewhere and hid himself from them”(Jn 6:15). Do you know what Jesus does every time we try to make him king or play “King on the Hill” in his name? He flees from us and he hides himself up in the mountains somewhere.

Assisi

Twice Pope John Paul II invited religious leaders of all the world’s great religions to assemble with him in Assisi and to summit there for the peace of the world. The first summit took place on October 4th, 1986, the feast of St. Francis. From the four corners of the earth they came: a veritable Pentecost of Buddhists, Hindus, Muslims, Shintoists, Rabbis, Sikhs, Zoroastrians, American Indians, etc. TIME magazine (Nov. 10,1986) called it "the greatest." Carl McIntire, a staunch religious Protestant right-winger, called it “the greatest single abomination in church history"!

You see, the Pope had hobnobbed with all those "pagans," when he really should have declared that Jesus is king over them all -- king over Buddhists, Hindus, Muslims, Shintoists, Rabbis, Sikhs, Zoroastrians, and American Indians! The Pope had given them welcome when he really should have been playing “King on the Hill” in Jesus’ name. -- Do you know what Jesus does whenever we Christians try to make him king on the hill or play the game in his name? He flees from us and hides himself up in the mountains somewhere.

The billboard

<<In the little town of Alvin in the bible-belt of southern Texas (where I spend one month of the winter) you see a towering billboard that screams out at you: "Jesus is Lord” – put there by the Church of the Living Stone. Another billboard which guards the city limits screams even louder: "Jesus is Lord over Alvin." Imagine all the Jews and Buddhists in Alvin who have to have that jammed down their throat everyday as they pass to and from work! It all reeks of “kinging” and "lording it over.” They’re playing that old game again of “King on the Hill,” and they’re doing it in the name of Jesus. -- Do you know what Jesus does every time we Christians act like that? He flees from us, and he hides himself up in the mountains somewhere.>>

Vatican II

Of course, we Catholics should talk. Remember the days before Vatican II when we were king on the hill? Remember how we reveled in huge numbers: so many vocations to the religious life and priesthood; so many Catholic schools and hospitals; so many parishes and Sunday worshipers; so many missionaries, etc. Then came Vatican II which sowed the "dangerous seeds" of humility and minority. The Council invited us to play more noble games than that of "King on the Hill." It is hard to give up the game. Even the church finds it hard.

Recently the “Roman Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith” issued a 36 page document entitled “Dominus Iesus.”(Note: I did not say “Rome issued” or the “Pope Issued.”) The document incited headlines in newspapers throughout the country. The one in the Washington Post read “Vatican Claims Church Monopoly on Salvation.” The headline in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel read “Vatican insists only faithful Catholics can attain salvation.” (Such startling titles are good for increasing readership.) In dialoguing especially with non-Christian religions, the document insists on the unique role of Jesus, and it warns us not to water that down especially when dealing with Buddhism and Hinduism. In dialoguing with non-Catholic Christian religions, the document insists upon the unique role of the Catholic Church. Nowhere does the document contain the startling headline that, “Only faithful Catholics can attain salvation.” But it does contain at least an attitude and an atmosphere that is almost arrogant and condescending. The document smacks of the old game: “King on the hill” Do you know what Jesus does every time we Catholics play that game in his name or try to make him king? He flees from us, and hides himself up in the mountains somewhere.

The tricky dynamic

There’s a tricky dynamic at work here, every time we try to make Christ an earthly King. What we really do is place not Christ’s kingship in him but our own kingship in Christ. “Our kingship?” That’s our agenda! That’s whatever it is we want to affirm as right or wrong. That’s whatever it is we want to exclude or include. That’s whatever it is we want to attack and annihilate or to champion and affirm. And when our kingship is in Christ (and not Christ’s in him) then we have the stamp of religious approval upon our agenda. Then we’ve got it made, as the staunch exaggerated right wingers both in religion and politics have it made. As Pat Robertson has it made. As Jerry Falwell has it made.

With our kingship in Christ (and not Christ’s in him), there’s no limits to what we can do, with God now on our side. We may even bomb abortion clinics or shoot abortion doctors in the head if we want. With our kingship in Christ (and not Christ’s in him), there’s no limits to what we can do, with God now on our side. We may even beat up a gay human being, turn him into a scarecrow and leave him dying chained to a wooden fence out in the country somewhere. With our kingship not Christ’s in him, there now are no limits. We may even go so far as to picket that poor lad’s funeral, and together with the Reverend Mr. Hate, carry our sign affirming the violent kingship of Christ with these words: “ God hates fags.” And then you quote your bible: “Rom 9:13.” (Read it and see the picture in Time magazine, Oct. 26, 1998.)

In the place of Christ’s kingship which affirms a morality that declares “justice, love, and peace” as “the weightier (the really more important) matters of the Law” (Mt 23:23), we parade our own kingship and our own brand of morality which chooses to be obsessed with sexual moralism, and which goes in hot pursuit of “monkeying around” instead of hot pursuit of “justice, love, and peace” (preface of the feast).

Trickle down hate

In the place of Christ’s kingship which affirms that hate is not a family value (but a living wage is and a good education is) we can sport our own kingship with a bumper-sticker which actually reads, “Hate is a family value.” Endorse that kind of irresponsible and hate-filled rhetoric, then, if your kid goes into the classroom tomorrow and shoots up the place, blame no one but yourself. Newsweek (Oct. 26, 1998) calls it “Trickle Down Hate.” Hate trickles down from high places where “role models” are supposed to dwell.

That’s what we mean by “tricky dynamic.” We substitute our kingship for the kingship of Christ. What is Christ’s kingship? What is his kinging? Oh it’s such a simple and clear idea. When asked, “Are you a king?,” he answers: "Yes but my kingship, my kinging doesn't consist in me being served or me lording it over others, but in me serving." As we speak, there is a huge battle raging: two men are fighting to be king in the White Palace. Which one should win (not ”will win”)? The one you honestly think is fighting like heck to serve not this or that but to serve the people.

Conclusion(1)

Trickle down love

Close upon the feast of Christ the King comes the birthday of a great man. He was born on the 25th of November, 1881(yesterday, 119 years ago). Like Jesus he was born poor, but when he grew up, he made it to the top of the hill. On the day of his coronation as Pope John XXIII (Nov 4, 1958), they placed a triple crown, a tiara, upon his head. In his homily he remarked that everyone has his or her own idea of what the new pope should be. “For myself,” he said, “I have in mind the example of the Good Shepherd, who came not to be served or to lord it over others but to serve.” The next day he put his money where his mouth was: off he sped through elaborate Vatican Gates to visit inmates in a Roman prison because they couldn't visit him. From the word go, John thereby put the Church and the world straight about the crowning and kinging of popes.

Yes, when he died they did indeed crown the next pope too: Paul VI. But after that wonderful kinging or better yet, that wonderful shepherding of John, it all fell so very flat. So Pope Paul took his crown, the gift of the people of Milan, sold it, and gave the money to the poor. And that was the end of the crowning of popes and the beginning of love trickling down from the Hill.

Conclusion (2)

The new game

Yes, Jesus is "King on the Hill." His enemies took him to the top of Calvary, and there proclaimed him king. They printed out his title: "Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews." But on the cross, he did not play the old game; he played a completely new one of his own. In the old game, when you got to the top, you pushed everyone down, down, down. Jesus said: "When I get to the top, when I am lifted on high, I shall draw everyone up, up, up to myself." (Jn 12:32)