What are we looking for in a leader? People have looked for the savior/leader for as long as history. But no matter who we find—or who just takes over, leaders disappoint and fail us. Even the best leaders only last for a generation at most.
The Old Testament story is really about that hopeless pursuit of finding the leader who will bring lasting peace and prosperity. The reigns of David and Solomon highlight the reality that even the best, most powerful kings, representing the pinnacle of Israel’s history, failed them. In fact, we find the seeds of Israel’s eventual downfall in the reigns of these two kings.
Yet the Israelites had a profound, deeply held conviction that they would make a difference in the world, and they looked for that Messiah who would usher in the golden age. When Jesus came on the scene, there was a palpable energy throughout Jewish society, expectant that the time was near and something dramatic was about to happen.
But Jesus announced a different kind of kingdom—one that wasn’t like the kingdoms of our world. No grand Solomon kingdom that competed with all the others. No Roman boot marching through the world. And no American manifest destiny wiping out native inhabitants and dominating the world, invoking the name of their Christian god in the process. Our elections won’t make any discernible difference in the big picture because the big picture is not about our power, authority, or dominance.
Jesus inaugurated a different kind of kingdom that gives the world a unique opportunity. His kingdom operates from the bottom up, beginning with the hearts and minds of individuals who take on a different attitude: one of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.
It’s a messy process. Christians so regularly act out in an opposite manner that it seems impossible that Christ’s kingdom will ever prevail. But he promises it will. And I can’t find any other hopeful solution to our world problems. I’ll stick with Jesus and his message.
