Generosity Out of This World (John 18:33-37)
For this month’s reflection on all things generosity-related, I’ve chosen to focus on the Gospel reading for Christ the King Sunday. What often strikes me when we arrive at this point in the church calendar, the end of the liturgical year, is that we celebrate Jesus’ Kingship, but without any of the pomp and triumphalism seen at other points in our worshipping year. On the contrary, here we see a King who is despised, degraded and rejected.
Arguably, this encounter between Jesus and Pilate marks the moment of God’s greatest offering for his people. Here, no angels are sent to rescue the Son. No uprising of his followers up to prevent him being handed over. No great fuss, just an extraordinary sacrifice of love.
Perhaps, as we look ahead to Advent and the beginning of a new year, the time is ripe to consider how we may follow this model of self-abasing love in our own pursuit of generous living. How often, if ever, are we able fully to set aside our pomp, our gravitas, our own self-importance, in order to show our love for others?
By the time this edition of M4M is published, I’ll have left my post in Leeds Diocese to return to parish ministry elsewhere. It has been a real privilege to spend a few moments with you each month, sitting with the mystery of God’s generosity and our calling to shape our lives according to His template.
That being said, I leave having provided M4M materials for a number of months to come, and so I conclude this segment as I always do, by thanking you for your tireless work in building the Kingdom and propagating generosity throughout the life of the church.
Thank you, and bless you in your work,
Dan
