Truth

Charlotte Collins Reed
Christ Church Episcopal
November 21, 2021

Christ the King

          On June 3, 2020, in the aftermath of the murder of George Floyd, Christ Church joined with First Congregational Church and Temple Beth Sholom to lead a walk for justice and peace.  Peter Wiley, Rabbi Michael, and I put the walk together quickly, got the word out primarily through social media and word of mouth, and prepared for about 50 people to join us.  The pandemic was raging so masks and social distancing were required.  I, for one, had a good bit of anxiety about not creating a super-spreader event, but the need for our faith communities to respond in a peaceful way to such outrageous injustice took precedence.

          When the appointed time came, Michael, Peter and I quickly realized that we had underestimated the number of people who wanted to be part of this walk.  By the time we started in front of Christ Church, at least 100 people had gathered, and by the time we were at First Congregation just a few minutes later, the crowd had doubled.  The Hudson police arrived to block traffic so the crowd could move safely through the streets.  By the time we got to Temple Beth Sholom, the crowd was so large that we spread out all over the intersection and the connecting streets and I am sure most people could not hear a word of what was said.  But that did not seem to matter.  The looks of grief on the faces gathered and the sheer size of the silent crowd spoke a truth greater than words. 

          When we got to the Green and I could actually see everyone, I realized that Hudson had come out for this.  There were people from a whole variety of faith communities and none at all, different political persuasions, from many different backgrounds and some of different colors and ethnicities, and every age from babies to older adults.  We were all gathered in that moment to confront the ugly truth of systemic racism and embody a greater truth about hope and love.  In that moment, those two truths connected us together.

          Today, on Christ the King Sunday, the last Sunday before Advent begins next week, we hear Pilate ask Jesus “Are you the King of the Jews?” And we hear Jesus reply “My kingdom is not from this world.”  Pilate and Jesus go back and forth about kingship until Jesus changes the subject and suddenly they are talking about truth.  I can hear the frustration in Pilate’s voice when he finally asks “What is truth?”

          This passage, which is also heard on Good Friday, pulls in themes from throughout John’s gospel.  In the very first chapter of the gospel, Nathaniel identifies Jesus as the King of Israel after Jesus says of Nathaniel “Here is truly an Israelite in whom there is no deceit.”  Then, after Jesus feeds the 5000 and the people want to catch him and make him a king, Jesus withdraws to the mountains by himself.   Not interested.  This morning when Jesus says “Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice” we are reminded both of Jesus’ statement that he is the way, the truth, and the life, as well as the passage where Jesus says “My sheep listen to my voice.  I know them and they follow me.”  Kingship and truth are themes that echo throughout John’s gospel.

          But what do kingship and truth have to do with how we are to be followers of Jesus?

          First, Jesus’ kingship is about relationship, not power or land.  Nathaniel recognizes Jesus as a king, not because of any earthly power, but because Jesus establishes a relationship with Nathaniel.  When Jesus speaks to his sheep, or his followers, they listen to his voice. Jesus knows them and they follow him.  They are in relationship.  When the people want to make Jesus a king after he feeds the 5000, he escapes to the mountains. He doesn’t want to be made a king just because he has miraculous powers.  Jesus feeds the 5000 because they are hungry, and he is their shepherd and they are his sheep.  Jesus wants to be in real relationship with them.  Pilate is talking about an earthly king with earthly kingly powers this morning.  Jesus is talking about a kingship that is rooted in relationship, a nurturing, loving relationship of service that will lay down his life for the life of the world. That relationship creates a kingdom that is not rooted in geography or power.  Jesus’ kingdom is not of this world.

          Secondly, Jesus tells Pilate and Jesus tells us that he came to testify to the truth and that those who belong to the truth listens to his voice. Jesus has already said to his disciples “I am the way, the truth, and the life.”  In John’s gospel, Jesus is truth embodied.  His life and actions embody the truth of God’s love for the world, the truth of the relationship God wants to have with us.  Jesus’ truth also calls his disciples to love one another as Jesus loves them.  Jesus’ truth is about relationship.

          Christ the King Sunday reminds us that our lives as Christians embody our truth.  Our actions and words as followers of Jesus speak our truth to the world.  In the Episcopal Church, the baptismal covenant, which we renew at every baptism, spells out actions that embody our truth.  We promise in that covenant to be faithful in worship, to nurture our relationships with God and each other by coming together week after week, in good times and hard times, to be nourished.  We promised to repent and return when we fall into sin, to not break from our relationships with God and each other as if those relationships cannot be mended, but to believe that love will heal them.  We promise to proclaim the gospel, the love of God in Jesus, with our words and actions, and to seek and serve Christ in all people respecting the dignity of every human being. Every human being.  Rich, poor, every color of the rainbow, any faith or no faith, whatever their level of education, or political persuasion, or wherever they are on the gender spectrum.  Every human being.  Our relationship with God as reflected in our relationships with other people speaks our truth about our faith. 

           For a brief moment in June, 2020, in the midst of a time of turmoil, Hudson came together to embody the truth that love can triumph over fear and hope can conquer despair.  That was a powerful moment for those who attended.  On Christ the King Sunday, Jesus reminds us as his followers that the way we live our lives embodies our truth, and Jesus calls us to embody the truth of God’s love for us and for the whole human family. 

                                                                                      Amen.