Weekly Clergy Letter from Mother Anne Turner

Dear Friends in Christ–

 

This Sunday is Christ the King Sunday, which marks the end of the liturgical year.  We celebrate it in white and gold and alleluias.

 

Christ the King is a relatively recent addition to the church year.  It was instituted in 1925 in the Roman Catholic Church by Pope Pius XI in response to social and political currents in Europe.  It was, in part a reaction to the rise of ultra-nationalism and fascism.  In the face of poltical power brokers and petty tyrants who claimed authority, the church held up the true source of all authority: Jesus Christ.

 

The sovereignty of Jesus is a powerful strand in New Testament theology.  He is often shown to us as a foil of the Roman Empire.  Indeed, much of the book of Revelation sets up the lamb of God as a sort of anti-emporer—one as powerful as Ceasar, but powerful through sacrifice rather than coercion.

 

We need Christ our King now.

 

Many of us are still finding our way forward in this challenging social and political moment.  Globally, our world resembles that of Pius XI, or even that of ancient Rome.  Nationalism and fascism still hold power.  Authorities rule by violence.

 

If your heart is troubled—and talking with many of you, I know there are a lot of troubled hearts out there—I encourage you to come on Sunday and honor the one whose authority is rooted in justice, whose power brings peace.

 

Yours in Christ,

 

Anne