This Sunday we celebrate the Solemnity of Christ the King. However, I want to talk about the discourse between Pilate and Jesus in the Gospel. In an age where Christian Nationalism is running rampant, I feel it necessary to point out that Jesus stood opposed to Nationalism and to violence. Even as he stood condemned to death, Jesus refused to call on heaven to send angels to rescue him. He refused to call on his disciples to rise in violent rage to save him from this horrific fate.
Rather, he resisted the call to violence. He refused to bow to the leaders and rulers of his day to save his own skin. Jesus decided not to take the easy way out, the way of Cheap Grace, but rather chose to lay down his life for what he believed in.
I was watching an episode of The Unexplained with William Shatner (go Star Trek!) and they highlighted the case of Brian Clark. Mr. Clark was an executive in a brokerage firm on the 84th floor of the South Tower of the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001. He is one of only 4 people who survived from the zone above the crash zone on that day. And he only survived because he resisted the call to go up to the roof instead of down toward the ground. He resisted the urge to take stairwell C and to instead move toward stairwell A on intuition that he should.
Because of his resistance to the popular thought, to the voices in his head, to the emergency workers advice, he not only survived, but he managed to rescue Stanley Praimnath. Stanley would go on to be a minister after 9/11 and Brian would work for New Brunswick Theological Seminary, a huge change for both of their lives.
Just like Jesus, they resisted what they were told to do, what might have been considered prudent and because of this the world and their lives were changed.
Today, we stand at a pivotal moment in our history. We have the choice to follow the popular call to become hateful, abusive, bigoted, and racist to survive, or we can choose to resist and be a beacon of hope, light, love, and acceptance.
Which path will you take? The path of resistance, or the path of least resistance?
Choose wisely!
Pax et Bonum,
Bishop Greer