Kings and Fools
Have you ever wanted to be ‘king, or queen, or even Prime Minister for just one day’? There is a story that the phrase, ‘King or Queen for a Day’, dates back to the first Christian Emperor of Rome, Constantine, who was told by his jester that he could do a better job of running the Roman Empire. Apparently, court fools existed in Roman times, and this one was made Caesar, or king, for a day. Any comedian can tell you, being a fool is a serious business, involving putting things in perspective through humour. To keep a healthy balance on things, Constantine’s Jester passed an edict for folly on one day a year, still echoed through our own April Fool’s Day.
Christ the King
The celebration of Christ the King has a different history. It arose when the Pope, Pius XI, found the secularism of modern society eroding people’s faith. It was 1925, and the Fascists under Mussolini were making their presence felt in Italy. Pius thought it was necessary to remind the faithful that whatever political powers might hold sway, or however charismatic the political leader, it is Christ who is “King of kings and Lord of lords.” I wonder what that means to us? Whatever our political persuasion, we are all subjects to King Charles III. And whatever our political persuasion, Christians are all subjects and subject to Jesus as our King. The very first statement of Christian identity was “Jesus is Lord.” The part that few said aloud was: Jesus is Lord, not Caesar.
“King of the Jews” is fixed very firmly to the Cross, by the Romans who crucified Jesus, but not as an affirmation. Rather, it is an act of mockery and a warning for all the world to see. The idea of the Jews having a king must have seemed ridiculous to them – mere folly. But as Constantine discovered, even folly can be challenging. Jesus rules a Kingdom with no borders to defend, no soldiers to defend it, and no weapons for the soldiers to use. It is a kingdom that inverts our very understanding of power. But it’s no joke. Jesus wears a Crown of Thorns with scars that are, as the Celtic Daily Prayer book says:
‘the only human-made things in heaven.’
His wounds have forever transformed all that brings chaos in our lives, into hope. Every time we witness a baptism, receive communion, or celebrate resurrection at a funeral, we remember his scars and the hope they bring. And in our world – every time we read or hear of COP 28 and Climate Change, or the war in Europe raging in Ukraine, or the Middle East in Gaza, or anything else that leads us to despair – we should remember the criminal on the Cross, who knew he had made a mess of his life and simply pleads in repentance and faith, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your Kingdom.”
Remember, remember…
November is a month filled with ‘Remembrance’, when we are reminded that our labour’s for God’s Kingdom are not over, but neither are they lost. This day at the end of the worshipping year – reminds us that when our world seems to be ending – there is One who has gone before us. The First and the Last. Who sits on the Throne of the Universe, wearing a Crown of Thorns. He is our hope, our new beginning. And not for just one day in the year, for that is folly – but every day. Every day that we choose to be subject to Him and to His Kingdom. Every day that we find the courage and the humility to say, “Jesus, remember me…”
