Jesus shall reign where'er the sun does its successive journeys run;
his kingdom stretch from shore to shore, till moons shall wax and wane no more.
Voices United 330
Then Pilate entered the headquarters again, summoned Jesus, and asked him, “Are you the King of the Jews?” Jesus answered, “Do you ask this on your own, or did others tell you about me?” Pilate replied, “I am not a Jew, am I? Your own nation and the chief priests have handed you over to me. What have you done?” Jesus answered, “My kingdom does not belong to this world.
John 18:33-36
I have always experienced ambivalent feelings about monarchial language to describe Jesus, the peasant from Galilee who is the Risen Christ. He was the antithesis of empire and in his final hours his exchange with Pontius Pilate, the Roman ruler in Galilee, he makes it clear that his reign has nothing to do with worldly power. I usually acknowledged Reign of Christ Sunday each year but emphasized the Servant Shepherd King theme rather than anything associated with triumphalism. I shied away from hymns such as Jesus Shall Reign with its imperialist imagery.
This comes to mind as the farewell cortege for the late Queen Elizabeth II, officially our monarch in Canada for 70 years, moves across Scotland before making it's way to London, Britain, for a ceremonial funeral which will be replete with pomp and circumstance. I am not a monarchist as my mother, born in England, was and the notion of her son Charles as king gives me indigestion. Yet I felt a pang of loss when I heard that Elizabeth had died, quietly leaving this life after so many years of faithful service in the role. Hey, I grew up singing God Save the Queen in school as our national anthem.. I doubt if I can bring myself to sing God Save the King.
British Empire during reign of Queen Victoria
I understand why so many around the world in former British colonies are commenting on the dark legacy of colonial rule. Empires create systems which pillage the resources of the territories and peoples they subjugate and the Commonwealth may be the most recent and last example of global "might makes right." In Canada we still have crown lands, which are really tracts stolen from Indigenous peoples in violation of treaties signed by First Nations with various British monarchs. The horrendous legacy of Residential Schools and the complicity of Christian denominations remind us of the brutality of empire.I do respect Queen Elizabeth's life of service and her personal Christian faith. During her long reign the relationship with former colonies of the Commonwealth shifted significantly and this was a move toward reciprocity, if not justice and reparation. Isn't it time, though, that this institution of the monarchy comes to an end?
What is Truth? detail of a painting by Nikolai Nikolaevich, 1890.
2 comments:
Interesting thoughts - I am not a monarchist, but I, also, had respect for Queen Elizabeth, for her sheer dedication to her duty. I am not so sure I can feel the same way abut Charles III...the poor fellow was a victim, to be sure, of the protocol of the day, and, unfortunately, pulled a large number of innocents into that web of destruction, including his own children... I will watch with interest to see just how long the monarchy will last now. Or, maybe my children will have to watch the demise of the institution - when so many are hungry and homeless, it seems very immoral to see a family, who, by sheer circumstance of birth, inherit so much. (And these people are "heads " of the national church of Jesus, the Christ!}
These are insightful comments, Judy. Thank you.
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