After John had been arrested,
Jesus came to Galilee proclaiming the Gospel of God:
“This is the time of fulfillment.
The Kingdom of God is at hand.
Repent, and believe in the Gospel.”
T here is a strange irony in the juxtaposition of John's arrest and Jesus' announcement. Just as evil has again declared its ownership of this world, Jesus announces the time of fulfillment and the advent of God's kingdom. But he had only recently won a victory of sorts as he fasted forty days and forty nights in the desert. He had seen that, by the authority of the Holy Spirit and his own refusal, Satan could be defeated.
The Christmas season has ended and we set out for the deep with the Lord into 2025. If the world changed little since December 1, (the First Sunday of Advent,) we have found something new, something which is "ever ancient, ever new;" and that is the vitality, courage, and generosity of the Holy Spirit.
Saint Hilary provides an escort into this season as he received the doctrine of the Holy Trinity and announced it to western, Latin-speaking Christianity. His teaching was not greeted by Arian heretics who dominated so much of the Church. They insisted that Jesus and the Holy Spirit were demigod servants of the One Father God. Their simpler and less mysterious teaching made sense to sensible people. Just as the emperor ruled the known world with absolute authority and was served by thousands of lesser bureaucrats, so did God the Father control his Son Jesus, the Holy Spirit, and all the saints and angels. Nor did the Emperor Constantine object to this doctrine of endless, fawning sycophancy. It worked for him!
Bishop Saint Hilary recognized the full divinity and full humanity of Jesus; this Son of Mary is no less divine than God the Father, nor is the Holy Spirit. Although they are of one mind, will, and heart, and in complete agreement, each serves and honors the Other. There is complete obedience of One to the Other and no dominance within the Trinity of God. And that, rather than the emperor's sovereign rule, should be -- and is -- the way the Universe is governed; by love and generous obedience rather than humiliating submission.
Christians find our dignity within the doctrine of the Trinity. It is God's gift and not the favor of any particular person, be they emperor, czar, or king; president, senator, or home room teacher. Created in God's image as men and women, no one needs to control or dominate another; and our governance of Planet Earth will be successful when we learn to respect the dignity of every person and trust one another. Every attempt by anyone to rule, dominate, or control others must fail. We're not designed for that! Nor is anyone good at autocratic rule.
Christians bring that vision to our life and our world, and for that reason we're both despised and welcomed. Like the Lord himself.
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I love to write. This blog helps me to meditate on the Word of God, and I hope to make some contribution to our contemplations of God's Mighty Works.
Ordinarily, I write these reflections two or three weeks in advance of their publication. I do not intend to comment on current events.
I understand many people prefer gender-neutral references to "God." I don't disagree with them but find that language impersonal, unappealing and tasteless. When I refer to "God" I think of the One whom Jesus called "Abba" and "Father", and I would not attempt to improve on Jesus' language.
You're welcome to add a thought or raise a question.