Since Jesus knew that they were coming
to carry him off and make him king,
he withdrew again to the mountain alone...
(John 6:15)
Today, Lord,
we honor you as King,
a title you never asked for
or wanted...
(Well, where I come from
we're not keen on kings either!)
But there are so many things ruling our lives, Lord,
and some of them are, well, less than royal:
greed and envy,
selfishness and spite,
lust and laziness,
prejudice and fear...
The list of our sovereigns is long, Lord,
and sometimes we're blind to the power they wield
on our thoughts and desires,
our decisions and choices,
our hearts and our lives...
So, rule with your love in our lives, Lord,
rule with your word of peace,
rule with your law of love and
rule with the mercy that crowns your heart...
Let your rule over us be
gentle and strong,
consoling and firm,
forgiving and challenging,
joyful and wise...
Rule in our hearts, Lord,
reign in our lives
and crown us, your own,
with your glory...
Amen.
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Hi Jesus! In the Gospels you are unambiguous: You clearly and often invited us (me) to call you brother, not King. Help me accept that invitation.
ReplyDeleteFaced with a well-meaning, strongly pious but totally human analogy about Kingship, help me not think of a brother as King since it subtly creates a distance between brothers.
Help me appreciate how a loving brother has more power than a King to strengthen me where I'm weak, to trust a brother to help me clean up messes I make, to manage and moderate my passionate tendencies, to balance my ups and downs...my inconsistencies and human unpredictability.
Help me recognize you as the brother who encourages and models generosity when I hold back.
Help me accept the meaning of your gospel lessons: a King might possess coercive and overwhelming external power, but a brother shares my DNA fiber and is infinitely more powerful in shaping my thoughts and actions.
Because of your repeated gospel invitations to call you brother, I have a hunch that you smile as a brother would at the incongruity of being called King. Give me courage to smile along with you.