Mary Mehala
November 24, 2024
Reign of Christ
I breathed and finally surrendered to the longing to write something that could speak to my heart, which I hope will speak to yours, too. I pray these words are a light to those who long to see and oil to those who long to find hope.
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Telling the deeper truth: “The Reign of Christ.” What story will I share with you this morning? Shall I tell my story, my history? Or shall I borrow a history as I imagine it to be, a story from long ago, of an America once billowing with green trees, brown hays, soft winds, and sweet fruit from the land not yet soiled by blood, the blood of those who cherished, ate, loved, belonged, hoped, and spirited? Dispersed yet confined, their cry and spirits filled the air, saying to their God, as I imagine the prophet Habakkuk said unto his, “The wicked hem in the righteous so that justice is perverted,” and they ask for how long shall we stay hemmed in, and who is this Christ, that Reigns? Tell us this deeper truth, for the sight of pain and sorrow stains our hearts like a cloudy dew resting heavily upon our eyes, rendering all unable to see.
So, I imagine, yet again, the conversation going something like this: Forgive them and follow me. But where, too, they ask for,
They are a feared and dreaded people;
They are a law to themselves
And promote their own honor.
8 Their horses are swifter than leopards,
fiercer than wolves at dusk.
Their cavalry gallops headlong;
their horsemen come from afar.
They fly like an eagle swooping to devour;
9 they all come intent on violence. (Habakkuk 1: 7-9)
And yet still, Jesus said, my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” Let the righteous live by faith, yet the deeper truth is yet to be known because they still ask who is this Christ that Reigns. Then the spirit, the spirit of an unknown God, descending like a dove (the dove, a great navigator, able to use the sun and measure the earth to find its way, covering its own with power, and making it known to everyone near and far, this is my son in whom I love; with him, I am well pleased.” (Matthew 3:16-17 – Paraphrased)
But, oh God, they continue to gather for themselves, all the nations, and take captives all the peoples, and they build cities with bloodshed and establish towns by crime! Habakkuk 2:12 (paraphrase).
We seek this deeper truth and ask, who is this Christ that Reigns? Shall we not continue to feed the young, sit with the old, and share in their joy and suffering, or shall we build Him a tent made of cloth and a foundation made of sand, only to be blown away by the wind or find ourselves sinking in?
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I once dreamt of flying over people, singing and praying over them, singing a song of Jesus, and then landing softly on the ground. “Jesus, Jesus,” I said as they passed me one-by-one. Some said “Jesus” back, while others kept walking. Then, a few others walked past with their heads covered, making no sound like oppressed people.
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And yet still, I ask what is the deeper truth, who is this Christ, that Reigns, and then I recall the voice of God who speaks to me: you are not stupid, you no longer need to seek approval from man, you are not a victim, and the cycle of violence ends here. Favor will lead you, and wisdom will rest upon your head; they will not see the color of your skin nor the gender at your birth but the light of God. And I pause and ask, how can I love God with all my heart, soul, and mind if offense reigns in me? Can sweet water and bitter water flow from the same source? Can I fight the good fight and choose a side? Will I let manipulation, intimidation, and domination have their way with me, or do I have the power to choose? And Yet, only still I understand, in part, the great mystery, the deeper truth; Christ Reigns; I am a soul, a spirit, living in a broken vessel. So I bargain with God and say, here’s my spirit, God, in exchange for yours, for sweet and bitter waters cannot flow from the same stream. Here’s my pain in exchange for comfort; here are my thoughts for your understanding. Here’s my anger in exchange for trust; here’s my offense and unforgiveness in exchange for your forgiveness. Is God all transactional? By no means is God all transactional. Does Christ want to reign in us? Yes, and by all means, I ask another question: What will I give up in this great exchange so Christ can reign in my heart? What are you willing to give up so Christ can reign in you? Do you want Christ to reign in your heart? Do I want Christ to Reign in my heart?
Here’s the deeper truth: I understand only in part: Christ indeed Reigns, And I can choose for Christ to reign in me, and you can choose for Christ to reign in you. What will you choose this morning? What will we choose this morning?
Over the years, I have learned through others and experience, whether through fasting, deliverance from demons, curses, and witchcraft, centering prayer, healing prayers, laying hands, renunciations, breaking agreements, Jesus in between techniques, the power of exchange, and the power of the Holy Spirit.
As a visual learner, imagine Jesus staring into my eyes. I put out my hands, giving something to Him; what is that something I give to Jesus, and what is He giving me in exchange? Could it be sorrow in exchange for joy? Could it be a pain in your body or mind in exchange for comfort? Could it be a hidden darkness that none know of in exchange for forgiveness? Could it be anger and harness in exchange for curiosity and empathy? And like centering prayer, I breathe in God’s affirming word, “God loves me,” and exhale my feelings of shame, unworthiness, or anything else threatening to weigh me down and separate me from my beloved.
A powerful exchange awaits us as we seek God with all our hearts, souls, and minds.
May we discover and relish in the great, holy, divine exchange.
