Let Love Reign

Each Sunday in the liturgical calendar has a name, it might be an inspiring name like “Resurrection of our Lord: Easter Day.” It might just be a number like, “the 5th Sunday after Pentecost.” The BCP named one Sunday, “The Sunday Called Septuagesima.” Some Sundays have the matter-of-fact title of, “The Sunday Next Before Advent,” which is, in the BCP name, the name this Sunday used to go by. Now-a-days, today goes by the grander title of “Christ the King” or “Reign of Christ Sunday.”

My preference is to call this Sunday, “The Sunday Next Before Advent,” because I think it’s funny. But giving me chuckle is hardly a good reason for continuing that name. I tend not to call today, “Christ the King,” because I think it’s healthy to avoid patriarchal language when it really doesn’t suit the situation. So, I tend to refer to today as, “Reign of Christ Sunday.” One could argue that the word “reign” has patriarchal connotations to it, but kings and monarchs are not the only things that can reign. And if the principle characteristics of Jesus are love and mercy, then I say, let Christ reign. Reign on Earth, reign in our hearts, reign in our lives! Let love reign!

You know, we haven’t actually tried it. There is not time in history when we’ve actually tried to let Christ’s love and mercy rule every part of our lives.

As one liturgical year draws to and end and next week we begin a new year, a new season, a new Advent, let us pray and hope for a time when we actually let love reign. It is time that we no longer greet Jesus and his love and mercy like a stranger.