"You are a king, then!" said Pilate. Jesus answered, "You are right in saying I am a king. In fact, for this reason I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to me." ... John: 18:37

As I have thought back on our recent "quadrennial exercise in democratic prerogatives," electing a president, I gave some serious thought to this democracy of ours. I take for granted our democratic republic and open society; likely because it's the only one in which I've lived. It continues to work pretty well for us, doesn't it? Flaws and all.

These campaigns can surely try our patience, though! Throughout the protracted, never-ending, sometimes vitriolic speechifying, debating, discussing (and cussing) political campaigns there was one important point of agreement by both candidates. Not once did either one protest that we Americans do not enjoy the best form of government on this planet.

Counterpoint: I well remember once being told, "you know, the best form of government is really a benevolent dictatorship ... that is, so long the ruler is truly benevolent." Oh? There's "the rub": benevolence ... or, kindness. One person making unilateral sound judgments for the benefit of the subjects. He may have had Queen Victoria in mind, a monarch whose unilateral fiats were usually benevolent, and just, albeit non-debatable.

Well then ... perhaps the ideal form of government may be a constitutional monarchy? Let's see if one might prove this point, taking a step beyond secular government toward an everlasting form of government, the one "universal government" most important to us Christians. In that realm Jesus, the Christ, is our absolute monarch --- the King of kings --- and the Bible is our "constitution," laying before us the moral law of the land. No ambivalence here: the Ten Commandments are not to be appealed through a layered judicial system. That's the law, period. Christ's teachings are also not ambivalent. That's also unequivocal and finite; a set of principles which the Bible "dictates" to us born sinners, dictates benevolently. Could a benevolent monarchy, then, be the best form of government, after all...at least in the context of our religious life? Thankfully, we live our secular lives in a free society where we can openly practice our Lutheran Protestantism, revering our heavenly Monarch and living a joyful life in the precepts of our religious "Constitution," the Bible.

Fellow Christians, I earnestly pray we may always live --- in true contentment --- in our side-by-side governments: our secular democracy, the United States of America, and our spiritual "constitutional monarchy," the one ruled by our Lord and King, Christ Jesus. It is through the graciousness of the first that the second is to be most fully enjoyed.

"O God, who by the Providence didst lead our forefathers to this land wherein they found refuge from oppression and freedom to worship thee: We beseech thee ever to guide our Nation in the way of thy truth and peace, so that we may never fail in the blessing which thou hast promised to that people whose God is the Lord; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen."

Contributed by Jack P.
Published Sunday November 14, 2004
Week 51 of Liturgical Year C