Scripture: Psalm 47:8 – “God is king over the nations; God sits on his holy throne.”
As we wind down the Easter Season, I am reminded of Marcus Borg’s description of the Kingdom of God: “It would be what life on earth would be like if God were in charge and others weren’t. If God were King and Caesar wasn’t.” The resurrection is perhaps the greatest expression of this idea. What if life were in charge and death wasn’t. If love were King and hatred wasn’t. This teaching is threatening to those in power, which is why Jesus’ was arrested and condemned, but it is also extremely comforting to us, even two thousand years later.
Politicians are not especially popular. We have jokes like, “How can you tell a politician is lying? His lips are moving.” There is a classic bit from The Simpsons episode, “Bart Gets an Elephant” in which the morning show shock-jocks are threatened to be replaced by a machine called DJ 3000. In addition to simplistic jokes, DJ 3000 also makes political commentary. “Looks like those clowns in Congress did it again. What a bunch of clowns!’ The morning show host responds, “How’s he keep up with the news like that?” Politicians are always doing things we don’t like, such that a context free statement is always relevant.
When our leaders act like clowns, the joke is on us. And in a world with ever increasing prices, violence, partisanship, and authoritarianism, we feel increasingly powerless. But what if God were in charge? What would that look like? I don’t mean a theocracy where those who speak for God are in charge; history proves how dangerous that is. But God were truly in charge. A world where the cries of the needy were met with comfort and charity and not with excuses, callousness, and predation.
Psalm 47 says, “God is king over the nations.” This was a powerful assurance for a people who were never as powerful as their neighbors. And we need that comfort today.
Think about something that upsets you. It might be something you saw in the news or read in a social media post. It might be how someone at work treated you, or how some bureaucrat or middle manager got in the way of your health care. Ask yourself, “What if God were in charge?”
The truth is that God is in charge. Already. All the time. We may not see it, but we can feel it if we open ourselves to the Holy Spirit in prayer. Our lives may not miraculously be better. The politicians and bosses and invisible hands and inhuman algorithms will still make our lives difficult. But we will know that God is with us, to calm our fears and give us hope. And if you live your life as if God were in charge, you will be amazed at how much joy you can find, no matter how unfunny the clowns can be.
Prayer: Dear Lord, I praise you because you rule over my life. When I am with you, I am always loved and protected. Amen.
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