In today’s reflection, Jeff Vomund contextualizes the Feast of Christ the King as proclaiming human beings’, and all creation’s, indomitable dignity as sharers in the divine. He suggests the power of Love should not be conflated with the power to control, but rather the moral authority of self-giving. He challenges us recognize that dignity in ourselves and others, and to treat one another accordingly.

November 24, 2024: Solemnity of Jesus Christ, King of the Universe
Daniel 7:13-14
Psalm 93:1-2, 5
Revelation 1:5-8
John 18:33b-37

A Celebration of Humanity’s Indomitable Dignity

A reflection by Jeff Vomund

When Pope Pius XI instituted the solemnity we typically refer to as the Feast of Christ the King in 1925, he did so as a response to what he felt was growing world-wide secularism. Although one must be careful when assessing the actions of history by contemporary moral standards, I’m going to go out on a limb and suggest it was as bad an idea back then as it is today. It was a bad idea even 99 years ago because giving Jesus the moniker of an earthly ruler inextricably conflates the power of love with all the political and military methods of control and domination which secular leaders have at their disposal. Christ as “king” necessarily confuses the power of love to change hearts with the power of rulers to control lives.

In fairness to Pius, some of that conflated and confusing message about Love is already “baked in” to the Scriptures, which are an amalgamation of Spirit-filled inspiration and the patriarchal and tribal norms from which they emerged. Despite what some might contend, the collection of narratives we call The Bible is anything but unequivocal. We need only the most recent election in the United States to remind us that Christians can interpret the Scriptures, not to mention the life of Jesus, in wildly different ways. Indeed, given the results of said election, followers of Jesus who see inclusivity, charity, and social justice as central tenets of discipleship may find ourselves feeling powerless in a nation where the more popular theology promotes a Christian perspective that seeks to control others’ bodies and promote othering narratives in service of “traditional” values.

As foreign as such a sentiment feels to me, at first glance this week’s Scriptures suggest power and authority more than humility and meekness. The book of Daniel depicts the Human One (often translated as “son of man”) as receiving “dominion, glory, and kingship” in which “all peoples, nations, and languages serve [them … whose reign] shall not be destroyed.” Similarly, today’s selection from Revelation shows Jesus as “ruler of the kings of the earth … who has made us into a kingdom” of priests for God. Even the gospel, plucked from its context as part of Jesus’ death as a political revolutionary, has Jesus claim kingship, lamenting that in this world, his attendants cannot fight to protect him from those leaders who would have him killed.

However, today’s scriptures are not, I believe, best understood as calls for and predictions of Christianity’s ultimate political victory. Instead, they speak to the indomitable dignity of human beings, no matter their political clout. Both Daniel’s and Revelation’s regal depictions of power emerge from communities that are being oppressed, and whose very existence is in danger. For Daniel’s audience, the Jewish people are in exile in Babylon, politically powerless and far away from anything that feels like home. Revelation is written to support a community that is being threatened from all sides: Jewish and Roman authorities, as well as other religious movements that seem poised to choke the life from this nascent collective who cling to Jesus as messiah. Despite emerging from oppression, these stories depict the striking beauty of love and the authority of sacrificing for the good of others.

These Scriptures are not about political power, but precisely its opposite, the authority that emanates from love despite political and economic powerlessness. Today’s passages depict a dignity found in the human person that persists despite ridicule, oppression, and rejection. We display this dignity when we treat others with care and concern even when we are not treated that way – and when we hold on to our truth without diminishing or demeaning those who cannot see it. We have many relatively recent examples of this indomitable dignity: the peaceful restaurant sit-ins of the Civil Rights movement, the non-violent opposition of Mahatma Ghandi to British colonialism, and the Truth and Reconciliation Commission in post-Apartheid South Africa led by Bishop Tutu and made possible by Nelson Mandela.

These examples of humans displaying their divine dignity despite others refusal to recognize it were not universally lauded when they occurred. Other voices demanded faster action, or an eye-for-an-eye response. Such will also be the case in these days should we try to display our dignity in a culture that, at times, seems to have given up on the concept. But I would like to suggest – indeed, our Scriptures and the life of Jesus insist – that holding on to our human dignity despite the indignities we experience is the critical witness of our time. We are called to treat all others – and ourselves – as possessing an undeniable and inalienable dignity. This includes undocumented immigrants, sexual minorities, homophobic racists, narcissistic billionaires, and everyone in between. As followers of Jesus, our credibility in the culture erodes whenever we treat anyone, any body, as less than sacred.

This relentless lifting up of our indomitable human dignity has been part the mission of DignityUSA since its inception in 1969. Dignity has held up a mirror to the Catholic community so we could see LGBTQIA+ human beings within our ranks and still recognize the beauty of the Body of Christ, not despite our diversity – sexual, racial, theological, and otherwise – but through it. As such, DignityUSA’s mission has never felt more important in America than it does today.

Similarly, every Breath of the Spirit column over the previous three years (since I’ve been privileged to serve as an editor and on the writing team), and long before that, has contended – each in its own way – that all human beings, and all creation, possess a dignity directly from the divine. That dignity may be hard to see but it must not be denied. As I step away from my writing and editing duties so that I can continue to share that message in different ways, and thus allow younger voices to give breath to the Spirit in this space, I trust that this mission will only flourish in the years to come. Breath of the Spirit writers will continue to call our readers and the world to recognize the indomitable dignity of every person and to use the weekly Scriptures to offer images, ideas, and practical tips to help us embody this dignity in our daily loving with greater energy and urgency in the months and years to come.                               

Jeff Vomund has been a member of Dignity/Washington for over 10 years although he currently lives in Knoxville Tennessee. After 15+ years of full-time parish ministry and 7 years of teaching students with particular learning needs Jeff is now a Senior Researcher at the Social Work Office of Research and Public Service (SWORPS) in the College of Social Work at the University of Tennessee where he focuses on the accessibility affordability and quality of early childhood care. He is finishing his Ph.D. in Educational Psychology at George Mason University.

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