Psalm 72:1-7, 18-19

1 Give the King your justice, O God, and your righteousness to the King's Son;

2 That he may rule your people righteously and the poor with justice;

3 That the mountains may bring prosperity to the people, and the little hills bring righteousness.

4 He shall defend the needy among the people; he shall rescue the poor and crush the oppressor.

5 He shall live as long as the sun and moon endure, from one generation to another.

6 He shall come down like rain upon the mown field, like showers that water the earth.

7 In his time shall the righteous flourish; there shall be abundance of peace till the moon shall be no more.

18 Blessed be the Lord God, the God of Israel, who alone does wondrous deeds!

19 And blessed be his glorious Name for ever! and may all the earth be filled with his glory. Amen. Amen.

(This year, Monday Matters will focus on wisdom conveyed in the treasures of the book of Psalms. We'll look at the psalms read in church before Monday Matters comes to your screen. Please note that these days in the church, there are two tracks of readings in the lectionary, offering a choice of psalms. Your church may or may not have read the psalm included in this email.)

Q: Will you strive for justice and peace among all people and respect the dignity of every human being?

A: I will, with God's help.

Mark Twain reportedly said: “Never discuss politics or religion in polite company.” So much for polite company. Here goes.

While separation of church and state seems to have been a pretty good approach to our common life, the fact of the matter is that the story told in scripture is deeply political, with a lot to say about rulers. Joseph in the Hebrew Scriptures is presented as a wise leader and able government administrator. David and Solomon are seen as great kings, blessed by God in their monarchical roles. The prophets speak out against leaders of Israel and neighboring nations, naming names. One of the most interesting scriptural intersections comes as Pilate and Jesus have a private conversation about kingship and power (John 19). After Pilate releases Jesus for execution, a sign is placed on the cross: The King of the Jews. We recently celebrated the Sunday of Christ the King, prompting us to ask: What kind of king are we talking about?

This is the question the psalmist tries to answer in the psalm reprinted in this email and heard in church on the Second Sunday of Advent. The psalm is really a prayer for the king, that the king will lead as God would intend, defending the poor, rescuing the needy. It’s a far cry from current leadership in our country, as the occupant of the White House last week described the people of an entire nation, a poor nation (i.e., Somalia), as garbage. I’m not sure how Bible-believing politicians (I’m looking at you, Mike Johnson) square that with what the Bible actually says. It’s a far cry from our baptismal covenant which commits us to respect the dignity of every human being. But the question remains for those who would follow Jesus: What kind of king are we talking about?

The psalmist may have had David or Solomon in mind when crafting this prayerful psalm. Maybe it’s a prayer for kings that followed, boldly criticized by the prophets. Christians can see a vision of Christ the King in this psalm, as the psalm speaks of a ruler transcending all time. The vision of a just ruler in this psalm is echoed in Jesus’ parable in Matthew 25, in which Jesus represents a king holding followers accountable. When those followers fed the poor, welcomed the stranger (read refugee and immigrant), clothed the naked, helped heal the sick, visited prisoners, they did so to Christ himself. When they failed to do those things, when they left undone those things which they ought to have done, they were ignoring Christ. The king, the ruler, then places himself along side those pushed to the edges. Where would you find yourself this morning, standing before Christ the King?

I confess that while I write letters to representatives, donate to politicians who reflect values I care about, vote accordingly, I sense that those small steps probably won’t change anybody’s mind. Large political contributors speak more loudly in our current system. 

But that doesn’t let me off the hook. The call comes to each one of us, again reflected in the baptismal covenant, to seek and service Christ in all persons, to love neighbor as self, to work for justice and peace, to respect the dignity of every human being. In God’s economy, in the economy of the just ruler, there are no people who we can label as garbage. None.

So while we may not have the influence of kings or rulers or leaders, the values of the Jesus’ kingdom call for justice, for attention to those in greatest need. Those in need surround us, in our neighborhoods and around the world. We can’t just site the failures of our leaders. We are called to consider our own failures to work for justice and serve those in need. This Advent, as we prepare the way of the Lord, may we live into those values, even in small ways. What might you do this day, this week to work for justice and to respect the dignity of every human being? Like the psalmist, ask God to help you with that. And say a prayer that our leaders will do the same.

A postscript on the intersection of religion and politics: Since we just noted with thanksgiving the life and ministry and witness of Dorothy Day, consider her insight: If we rendered unto God all the things that belong to God, there would be nothing left for Caesar.

-Jay Sidebotham