A Night Vision of Truth and Power

 A Night Vision of Truth and Power

Revelation 1: 4b-8,           John 18:33-37

 

As I watched in the night visions,

 

I saw one like a human being

coming with the clouds of heaven.

 

And he came to the Ancient One

and was presented before him.

 

To him was given dominion

and glory and kingship,

 

that all peoples, nations, and languages

should serve him.

 

His dominion is an everlasting dominion

that shall not pass away,

 

and his kingship is one

that shall never be destroyed. (Daniel 7: 13-14)

 

For four years, I was part of a program called Education for Ministry, which was held weekly for nine months in the rector’s office. In his closet was the picture of a puppet, whose head was in a guillotine, and the words below it said, “The truth will set you free; but first it will make you miserable.” 

I don’t know about you, but transitions and holidays can stir up a lot of feelings in me. At times like these, we can easily get emotionally out of whack, lashing out at others with angry and resentful words, overreacting to people rather than responding to them, stuffing our feelings as well as our faces. Some of us refuse to talk about certain issues, or with certain people, or we just avoid them altogether. And yet, as a FaceBook post once related, “Of course your family pushes your buttons…..they installed them.” 

As we approach the Thanksgiving holiday, still on the heels of our recent presidential election, we continue to hear from certain professionals about how to deal with our feelings. If we voted for Trump, we’re cautioned not to “gloat.” If we voted for Kamala, we’re encouraged to process our feelings of grief and fear appropriately. One psychiatrist advised audiences to cancel their dinner invitations to certain family members for Thanksgiving. Food fights notwithstanding, there could be bloodshed. Black Friday could take on new meanings. 

My family is a 12 step family in which members can relate to issues of addiction, whether from an al-anon perspective or AA. In the program, there is a description of a certain personality type called King Baby. It describes someone who thinks he (or she) is the center of the universe and expects everyone to do as they want. Like a king, they rule with single authority. Like a baby, they are emotionally undeveloped. The world revolves around their opinions and actions. 

We’ve been hearing a lot about “truth” and “power” recently. These two words are rearranged, paired, or repeated so that the one who is speaking (that’s me right now) encourages certain types of behavior. For instance, one social media platform is called “Truth Social” although various people jump from one platform to another, searching for the truth. Tweets become X’s (not to be confused with Boston Celtic basketball star Xavier Tillman). Recently “BlueSky” has appeared as the new and preferred offering for some audiences. 

 Jesus was known as a prophet, priest, and king, who incarnated and modeled a person who would  “speak truth to power.” Neither afraid of his religious or political leaders, He represented the common person and child, and the people who felt powerless. While no one, we might argue, has a corner on the truth, and as some argue that “every politician lies”, with respect and dignity we can share our various beliefs and perspectives. Our power, however little or great, can be used or abused depending upon the person and the system. In the kingdom of God “It’s different here.” 

This year, at various presidential political rallies, certain faithful people had yelled “Jesus is King” much to the delight of some, and rejection by others; for kingship is a loaded and weighty word. As a democratic political system in our country and in the Episcopal Church, kingship can strike fear in the hearts of many people in our country today. We are a democracy, having fought a war for our own independence from the rule of kings and queens in England.Today, in our Church, we celebrate a feast day called “Christ the King Sunday.”

So why do we laud and honor Jesus as our King of kings? Perhaps because he was a human being unlike any others. He uses his power only to help and heal God’s people. Perhaps because He rules over all people, i.e., “to him was given dominion and glory and kingship, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him.” Perhaps because “His dominion is an everlasting dominion that shall not pass away. His kingship is one that shall never be destroyed.” 

This King of ours, Jesus, began his life in this world as a baby. Unjustly accused, condemned, and crucified He “loves us and freed us from our sins by his blood, and made us to be a kingdom, priests serving his God and Father.” And even still, as the ruler of all kings and all people, the fullness of His kingdom is “yet to come.” It is, indeed, out of this world. In today’s unsettled world, Now that’s a message of power, eternal truth, and everlasting hope.