“And I myself have seen and have testified that this is the Son of God.”
In today’s reading, John the Baptist takes that risk, “hijacking” the language of Empire for his own purposes. You could get killed for using the language of Empire in this way, and many were killed. Early on, Christians used this language of Empire to identify the one to whom they pledged allegiance: Jesus the Messiah, Jesus the Anointed, Jesus the Christ. The genius of the Holy Spirit is not to fight the language of Empire but to embrace it, reinterpret it and thereby redeem it.įor example, the title of the Roman Emperor was “Son of God.” The Roman Emperor was understood to be divinely appointed in fact, a god in human form. But from the earliest days of Christian faith has been what I will call the “genius” of the Holy Spirit. Against these things Christian discipleship and the language of love don’t seem to stand much of a chance. Power, control and conquest are the language of Empire. It would make a great campaign slogan for modern people who want to “Make America Great Again!” It’s the language of Empire. Following victory in battle, Julius Caesar is said to have written in a report back to Rome these words: Veni, Vidi, Vici-Latin for “I came, I saw, I conquered.” It’s pretty simple. This, in contrast to the basic command of Christ to love one another-even love your enemies, do good to those who hate you-these are most assuredly not Empire values!ĭecades before Jesus was born, lived one who is probably the most famous Roman emperor, Julius Caesar. Control, conquest and exploitation-whether of people or of the earth-these are values of all empires. To be both a citizen of Empire and a follower of Jesus is, to put it mildly, awkward. We Americans, on the other hand, are the modern equivalent of Roman citizens. They were a subject people, conquered and ruled by Rome.
Life in Empire was the daily reality of Jesus and his people. If so, chances are pretty good that you have some personal experience of conquest and exploitation at the hands of Empire. Or, maybe you were, but not favored by the Empire into which you are born. But, maybe you were not born into Empire. If you win the lottery of life and are born into Empire-especially if by accident of birth you are among the privileged-you have a lot going for you. Life in Empire has been a fact of life for millions of people over thousands of years of human history. The United States by comparison is a very young empire. China is an ancient empire, once again on the rise. One of the most striking similarities is that these are two modern empires. What I have noticed on these regular visits over the past 30 years, however, is not so much how different our two nations are, but how similar. Two languages, two cultures, an ocean apart, sixteen time zones and what sometimes feels like worlds apart. My wife and I are blessed to share the experience of life in two lands: China and the United States. We have just returned from a family visit to China, and are grateful for you, God’s people, for your ongoing faithful service as the Body of Christ in South King County and beyond! Grace and peace be with you all.
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