This Sunday is “Christ the King” a not-so-ancient festival of the church which points us to Christ’s reign as the fulfillment of all humanity. Pope Pius XI established Christ the King in 1925 to counter the destructive forces he saw in secularism, communism, and fascism. History aside, Christ the King Sunday gives us helpful scriptures to reflect on the nature of God’s authority.
In seminary, I heard for the first time the use of “kin-dom” rather than “kingdom” to describe the reign of God. This subtle change — you might not notice it spoken aloud — pivots our understanding of God’s reign from power over to power with. Rather than viewing God’s authority as a feudal system, we can understand it in the context of family, or kinship.
If Jesus’ authority comes not from his role as King, but as our Kin, that changes how we as Christians relate to the world as well. What does power with look like in your life? Who are you tempted to judge or demonstrate power over, that you might instead walk alongside?
Three Holy Days
In our tradition, we make space on Maundy Thursday to remember central parts of our faith story. We hear about the...
