As an Anglican priest I attended one of those tiresome clergy conferences and some fellow named Russell in a blue clerical shirt was up front going on about 'the commonwealth of God.' He couldn't bring himself to say 'kingdom of God.'
It wasn't politically correct.
So over dinner I made a point of sitting by him and asking him about this novelty.
"Hi Russell, Mind if I sit here?"
"Please do."
"Russell, I kept hearing you say, 'commonwealth of God' during your talk. What did you mean by that exactly?"
"You see, Jesus spoke of the 'kingdom of God' and that is not a term which is readily understood by modern people today."
"But we live in England. Surely everyone here knows what a monarch is don't they?"
Patronizing smile: "Yes, but the Queen's power is negligible. She's just a figure head."
"Maybe, but even so, she holds pretty much power doesn't she just because of who she is?"
"We live in a democracy and Jesus and his disciples did not understand democracy. That's why he used language about a king and kingdom."
"Hang on a sec. The people of ancient times understood democracy didn't they? I mean it wasn't exactly like ours, but only a few years before Jesus' time Rome was a Republic, and isn't 'democracy' a Greek word? I thought they understood democracy too. So Jesus and his disciples would have understood democracy, but he chose to use the image of kingdom."
Another polite smile, "Perhaps, but you see, that's really beside the point because we live in a democracy today and medieval terminology about kings is degrading to modern people."
"I don't feel degraded by it. It inspires me. I do, however, feel degraded by 'the commonwealth of God.' It makes me feel like a Bolshevist comrade in arms. But anyhow, does it really matter whether the king was medieval or ancient or modern? The idea of a king and kingdom really is very different from that of a commonwealth or a democracy, and Jesus must have chosen the king and kingdom imagery for a purpose."
"Yes, but modern people don't relate to it."
"I relate to it, and I'm an American. Can't get much more modern than that!"
Smile turns to teeth baring grin and menacing chuckle, "Yes, well you Americans do sometimes have quaint ideas about our Queen and the monarchy. I suppose you're also somewhat of an antiquarian. Love the Dark Ages do you? Spanish Inquisition and all that?"
"As it happens I do love the Middle Ages. Apart from the plumbing and dentistry, there's a lot that was better in the Middle Ages. Especially kings and castles and knights and monasteries and gothic cathedrals and all that. Say, Russell, have you ever thought what sort of person you'd be in the Middle Ages? I've always thought I'd be either a Benedictine monk or a court jester. What kind of person do you see yourself as in the Middle Ages?"
"I can't say I've ever given it much thought."
" I know! I could see you as one of those guys who pushes the cart through the streets during the Black Death yelling, 'Bring out your dead!!' "
"How amusing. I think I'll go get some dessert."
Yesterday I participated in a conference about the Kingdom of God. I was part of the young adult panel.
ReplyDeleteFirst up was a female Protestant minister and a lay Catholic author. They spent much of their time talking about how the word 'Kingdom' was not properly inclusive.
Next up was my panel, and when asked if we had any response to the first speakers I said..."Stop fighting your old, old battles over inclusive language. By now you have either won or lost them, but either way it doesn't matter and nobody I know in my generation cares at all. I have had a lifetime of people talk themselves in circles about this kind of ridiculousness and it is all a meaningless waste of time. Not only is it boring, it does nothing to build the kingdom of God to tear at the language used by Christ. Much better if we spent this time caring or the poor, feeding the hungry, visiting the imprisoned."
It caused quite a stir in the gray haired audience (only topped by later when I said I went the Latin Mass).
Afterwards several people approached me and thanked me for my honesty, but two women came at me and angrily told me that I was an ungrateful rude 'girl' who didn't appreciate all they had done as feminists for me. One of the organizers of the conference had to come rescue me.
Some people are very, very tied to that kind of correctness and it really does cause them to lose their way.
LOL. Did you make this up?
ReplyDeleteFR At least he was Anglican ! I mean, with all due respect, we catholics ought to have a clearer idea of straying when we do stray.(I do)
ReplyDeleteBut I fear your man is and was not alone in the UK.
I remember vividly a welleducated and generally knowledgable Catholic friend who was getting the more liberal daily as he was turning, as it were, into the "official Catholic" in the institution he worked in , on the occasion of the first papal visit , JPII, to the UK. I was happy it was going well, hoped that a welcome would be extended equally to any other less popular Pope, on the , for noncatholic Brits, monarchical principle of the man representing the whole catholic church.
I was flabberghasted at the rudest of interruptions, the steely glint in the eye, the mental shutters banging down " I DON'T APPROVE OF MONARCHICAL PRINCIPLES".
That was it, full stop, end of conversation, end of story , end too, of any fellowship on his part.Sad - but in a relatively small circle he was a public figure, as it were.
The post was based on a true event--as they say in Hollywood...
ReplyDeleteHeh heh...'Commonwealth of God'.
ReplyDeleteDo they get to elect God once every 5/10/100 yrs?