Dear Parishioner,
Christ, Universal King
In 1950 King Farouk of Egypt is said to have told a group of reporters that soon enough there would be only five kings left in the world: the king of hearts, the king of spades, the king of clubs, the king of diamonds and the king of England!
There was a time of course when kings and queens in our world were legion but now not so many. A search reveals that most are constitutional monarchs whose powers are limited by constitution, whilst others act as heads of state; but there are a few absolute monarchs who do wield power (and perhaps not always for good) and the total can rise to as many as forty three if you include emperors and sultans. But they seem, quite literally, to be a dying breed.
Todays feast of Christ the Universal King brings to a close the liturgical year in which the gospel of Luke featured prominently. Placing today’s gospel story of a King’s death on a cross is in sharp contrast with the season of Advent which begins next week when we anticipate the birth of that same King. But the positioning is deliberate.
The fate of kings lies behind our first reading with king David coming a long way from tending sheep to become the anointed king of Israel. Jesus is a descendant of David but the authority he wealds if very different. He warns against the kind of authority that refuses to busy itself in lightening the heavy burdens that people carry. Throughout his ministry Jesus shared his forgiveness; and he dies breathing it –‘forgive them, Father, for they know not what they do.’
The kingdom then is one that looks out for people who are otherwise ignored: the poor, the broken and the wounded, common themes which run throughout Luke. How fitting then that Jesus should end up between two criminals, the very people he sought out in his ministry. The crown he wears is one of thorns; the throne he has is his cross; his royal banner a scribbled sign proclaiming him King of the Jews. This is the gospel image of royalty: the king and the criminal who go together into paradise. Hardly the ending that many would have anticipated but this is the king we celebrate today and whose values we are pledged to live.
Deacon Alex
