No Kings? One King!

Eve of the Nativity and Theophany of our Lord Jesus Christ | Տօն Ճրագալոյց Ս. Ծննդեան եւ Աստուածայայտնութեան Տեառն մերոյ Յիսուսի Քրիստոսի

Passages: Titus 2:11-5; Matt. 2:1-12; Lk. 2:8-14
Ընթերցուածքներ՝ Տիտ. Բ 11-15; Մատթ. Բ 1-12; Ղկ. Բ 8-14

Քրիստոս Ծնաւ եւ Յայտնեցաւ. Օրհնեալ է Յայտնութիւնը Քրիստոսի։ 
Christ is Born and Revealed, Blessed is the Revelation of Christ.

“Hark the Herald, Angel’s Sing, Glory to the Newborn King.” How many of us have heard of the Myers Brigg test? Growing up in North America, as part of student life, majority of us have taken this personality test, which divides us into categories based on a number of psychological questions. Among the results, we see that certain people have leadership qualities. These people often become teachers, CEO’s, political leaders, and such. No matter what career path any of us eventually fall into, there is always a leader, someone we answer to, and who guides us. In fact, we often look for a leader in times of uncertainty and work. Yet, leadership is more than just someone who bosses us around. Ultimately, leaders, be they worldly or spiritual are those who have an entrusted authority and purpose. Within the Church, though we all have a role to play, the clergy are those who have been educated and entrusted with certain authority and care for the people. Within society, we have community leaders like teachers, doctors, lawyers and judges; mayors, senators, congressional leaders, presidents and if we live in a monarch, kings and queens. All these positions are people who have been trusted to lead, care for and take charge of those under them.

However, often times, these positions of power are abused; leaders do not lead with purpose, those who are called to care become careless and selfish. Last year, many people were protesting “No Kings” in opposition to the leadership in the United States. In Armenia, people are opposing both secular and religious leaders for a various moral or ethical issues. And all over the world, we see people coming out in protest or in cases where there is real danger, quietly exposing dictators, and leaders of all kinds who have not served properly. Therefore, a question must be asked, how do we as Christian’s respond? Should we be participating in “no king” protests, should we be fighting against tyrannical rule, or leaders who have mislead according to us?

In 1 Sam. 8, the Israelites came to God and asked for a leader, a king. Afterall, God had promised both Abraham and Jacob that from their bloodline kings would be born. In fact, in Deut. 17:14-20m, God gave Moses guidelines about how the king of Israel would rule. Yet, when the Jews came to God for a king, we read of how this upset Him; but why? Because they asked, “appoint for us a king to judge us like all the nations.” (1 Sam. 8:5) In other words, the Israelites wanted to be like everyone else; they were rejecting God and wanting a human leader. They had become disinteresting in trusting God to provide for them, and they looked for leadership and care in the broken rather than the divine. My dears, sadly, we are all guilty of this. Putting aside politics, world leaders, community leaders, Church leaders, let us ask ourselves, what and who have we made into kings, into gods for us above God? Perhaps we may say, nothing. We have no king, we have only one God. We stand up against tyranny, we yell “no kings” in the streets, we want our clergy to be righteous, we want our mayors and judges to be fair with the authority they have been given. These are wonderful desires. Yet, the truth is sadly, many of us put more trust in human leadership, in the fragile, than we do in God. We place our hope in policy, in legislation; we trust our smartphones, the internet, our emotions and feelings; we use slogans to motivate and poetry to make us feel good. Philosophies and TedTalks have replaced Scripture and Holiness. In times of uncertainty, where do we place our hope and trust?

Yes, God commands us to take care of those in need, to exemplify justice and fight and protect those who are oppressed, yet, we are also commanded to “Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s” (Matthew 22:21, Mark 12:17) And my dears, we, each one of us, leader and follower, clergy and laity, male and female, old and young, rich and poor alike, Armenian, Asian, American, black or white, we belong to God. And because we belong to God, God calls to us to trust Him especially in times of fear and uncertainty. That is why God the Father has given to us this day, gives us everyday, Christ Jesus, the King of Kings. His only begotten Son whose “Kingdom shall have no end” (St. Athanasius) as we declare in the Nicene Creed. This means my dears, that while we do live in this material world and yes, God has given each of us certain authority to lead, to be a priest or parent, president or even king, these titles, our jobs, our education, and the things we have in our life must serve one purpose – to guide us to the manger, to the Cross where we witness the True King, worthy of worship. This material world is a blessing from God, but it is not a god for us. The Holy Spirit is not a feeling of peace or comfort that words alone can provide, rather it is the living presence of God in us illuminating us with wisdom and knowledge of God’s love that heals us, renews us, and protects us, giving us both authority and also purpose.

This doesn’t mean we only use our cellphones to read Holy Scripture, nor does it mean we don’t trust earthly leaders. But it does beg the question, who and what is more important for us than God? If leaders are commanded to restore peace in nations for a moment, Christ restores us eternally. If the material world feeds our stomachs, clothes our nakedness, entertains us for a moment, Christ feeds our soul, covers our hurt and gives us divine joy of which there is no end. My dears, today and tomorrow we as Armenian’s celebrate the birth of Christ in our lives and we say, “Christ is born and revealed” yet, how many of us, if able to, took time off work, took time to pray and reflect what we are actually celebrating? This is not a condemnation but a question of heart; are we like “all the other nations” or are we set apart as Christians, as the children of God? Is Christmas just a hallmark holiday to add to our waistlines, or is it the birth of God in our lives that adds hope and peace to our lives?

“Hark the Herald, Angel’s Sing, Glory to the Newborn King.” Yes, my dears, God allows us to have leaders in our lives, to have material blessings, but we only have One King. Christ Jesus our Lord and Savior, who unlike earthly leaders who boast about themselves, Christ humbled Himself, was born in a manger as a servant to lift us up; to reveal to us who we really are, and what we are called to. “May our hearts, therefore, become a Holy Manger” as St. Paisios says, where we are granted all His blessings. No matter our past, no matter our present, no matter our failures or success; no matter our position or possessions in this life, God’s love is for all, Christ is born in us all – shepherd or magi, president, king, priest, leader or follower, today we bow before the true King, and with one praise and voice Christ the King is Born and Revealed, blessed is the Revelation of Christ!