King Jesus

 You told us about a man who's coming was foretold--born to be Emmanuel, God with us. A Prince not of power but of Peace, one anointed by God to sit on the throne of David forever, where he would lead the people with justice, reconciling the world back to The Father--and we believed you. 

You told us about the way he was born--heralded by a priest, a virgin, and an outcast, who told us he would fill the poor and send the rich away hungry, that he would bring light to those sitting in darkness, that the way would be prepared by bringing low the high and lifting up the low so all people would stand as equals before their savior--and we believed you.

You told us about the way he lived--proclaiming good news to the poor, recovery for the blind and broken, comfort for the mourners, food for the hungry, life to the fullest degree; a good shepherd, the Word who was with God from the beginning, the one who holds the words of life--and we believed you.

You told us how he taught us to live--to eschew wealth and riches, valuing the things of heaven instead, to seek not to judge or hate our enemies but instead to forgive and pray for them, that the defining characteristic of his disciples would be how well we love our neighbors (and that everyone was our neighbor)--and we believed you.

Then we tried to help the poor--to feed the hungry, to care for the sick, to create opportunities to lift up the downtrodden--you called us socialists and communists. 

We tried to establish justice--to make healthcare a basic human right, to create a path to citizenship for undocumented foreigners and refugees, to value and listen to the opinions of people who looked and thought differently than we did--you told us "God helps those who help themselves," and shouted for bigger walls to keep out the strangers.

We tried to advocate for those on the margins--seeking rights and opportunities for women, people of color, prisoners, gays, lesbians, trans men and women, non-Christians, non-Americans--you told us we'd lost our way.

We took the Bible seriously; you said we misunderstood. 

We followed where Jesus was leading; you said those weren't his sheep.

We're trying to follow King Jesus, but you seem to think Caesar is doing just fine.