My kingdom does not belong to this world

Homily for November 22, 2015 (Christ the King)
Daniel 7:13-14; Psalm 93; Revelation 1:5-8; John 18:33b-37

“France is at war”

That was the declaration of French President François Hollande in the wake of the horrific terrorist attacks in Paris on November 13 that resulted in the deaths of well over a hundred people and injuries to hundreds more.  The Islamic State or ISIS claimed responsibility for the attacks, mocking French support for efforts to eliminate them in Syria and elsewhere.  Citing the support of Allah or God for their murderous actions, they hailed the men who carried out the horrific attacks as “martyrs” for their cause, which is to institute a worldwide Islamic caliphate—a kingdom of this world.  In response, France intensified its military and diplomatic campaigns to destroy ISIS, and it called on other nations to do the same.

Nations certainly have the right to defend themselves against terrorists; and people throughout the world, including in Syria and elsewhere in the Middle East, have the right to be safe in their homes and communities.  But the ideologies of hate, whether they are wrapped in the flags of nation, politics or even religion, will at best be merely contained by military might, diplomatic persuasion or innovative espionage.  The kingdoms of this world come and go.  In the time of Daniel, they were the Babylonians, Medes, Persians and Greeks.  All fell, as did the later Roman Empire, the Holy Roman Empire, an earlier Islamic Caliphate, the British and Ottoman Empires, and the American and Soviet dominance of the world during the Cold War.

Today we are reminded that there is only one Kingdom that is eternal and only One who is Alpha and Omega, the beginning and end of all life.  His rule is already secure and can never be more made so by violence or fear, although many throughout history have attempted it, using the cross as an emblem of war rather than the sign of a victory that has already been won and the means by which we truly have “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.”   His desire is not to rule over earthly kingdoms or to gain worldly power or riches.  He wants to rule our hearts so that we and the entire world may “have life and have it more abundantly” (John 10:10).

When Pontius Pilate questioned Jesus, “Are you the King of the Jews?” his primary concerns were to keep the local population pacified and to protect the interests of the Roman Empire.  Jesus sidestepped that question and made a more important point:  “My kingdom does not belong to this world….”  When we allow that kingdom and the Gospel to reign in our lives, echo in our words and shine in our actions, we will grow in courage and our capacity to resist and ultimately overcome the forces of darkness within ourselves as well as in others.  We will also become better able to win “the battle of hearts and minds” that even the most hardened veterans in the war against terror know can never come at the point of a gun or the threat of a drone strike.  +