Looking at today’s two lessons, St. Paul’s hymn to the cosmic Christ, “the image of the invisible God”, in whom all creation is rooted and sanctified, and St. Luke’s account of the Christ (the Messiah) the “King of the Jews” shamefully crucified by the religious and political leaders of his day, I was reminded of the common expression “from the sublime to the ridiculous”.
Chasing down that expression, I find the earliest references were in 18th century French political thought where the full saying was “it is but a step between the sublime and the ridiculous”. English and American writers soon picked up the expression and Thomas Paine in The Age of Reason made it famous. By sublime we mean something wonderful beyond telling (like the description of Christ in the first lesson) – but it seems that the human sublime often cannot be sustained and the ridiculous can take over very quickly. But the expression can go both ways and critics have suggested, for example, Shakespeare had the creativity to make the ridiculous situations of life sublime in his plays.
But mostly we use the expression when something that is wonderful and exciting suddenly turns to dust, to being utterly ridiculous. We might use the expression to describe the recent US presidential election with its less than sublime results. Sometimes we use the expression about friendships or relationships or organizations or programs or even persons that go from good sense, beauty, deep meaning (that is, the sublime) to sheer ridiculousness very quickly. The expression is a kind of warning not to put too much trust in the human sublime. It can unravel very quickly because of sin.
When we apply the expression to today’s two lessons and try to reflect deeply about their contrast, perhaps we might say that Christian Revelation is the Messiah’s journey to the ridiculousness (or foolishness, to use Paul’s term) of the Cross, but which quickly, through the Resurrection, Ascension and Glorification moves to the sublime, with the crucified and ascended Messiah as divine and eternal Ruler of all creation.
We sometimes seek a Christianity (or even a church) that is 100 percent sublime, lifted by a rich sacramental life, or beautiful or lively music, or deep reflection or flawless and deep human relationships: in short, a Christianity without the Cross and isolated from the world. But the Gospel story of Jesus (the Christ, which means Messiah, the Anointed One) is that of a prophet (God’s Incarnate Son) surrounded by cruelty, hypocrisy, corrupt politics, unjust religion, political oppression – in short, human sin. The same mess we are surrounded by today! Yet Jesus persevered and taught and lived the incoming reign of love and justice. He was the Suffering Servant, not the militant Zealot. When unjustly sentenced to death, he did not flee but embraced the shame of the Cross.
In that undignified embrace of the Cross, our humanity, with all its brokenness and sin, is transformed and conveyed into the realm of light, into the realm, indeed, of the sublime. In the words of our first lesson, “[The Father] has rescued us from the power of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins”.
So, the Messiah’s journey may be described as that from the Holy Ridiculousness of the Cross (including all that led up to it) to reigning over creation with complete and total Sublime Love.
Might that description guide our journey as followers of the Way of Jesus the Messiah? Surrounded by sin (including by people who call themselves Christians), challenging unjust social and political structures and oppressive relationships, living Christ-like lives of kindness, patience and understanding, supporting one another with concern and compassion, not discouraged by sin – living in such a way even to the point of sacrifice and death – such that God brings about the sublime in our lives, both in this life and the next.
That sublime life of the ever-reigning Christ is present in all parts of our lives: for example, in the loving quality of relationships, in hard work accomplishing results (or even not accomplishing results), in art and music, in a life of generosity and faithfulness, in a marriage or friendship, in parenthood, in supporting and bringing into being political structures and realities that reflect divine love and justice, and many more ways. God’s grace lifts us up and offers us the sublime, even in the worst situations. That is, I believe, what Christ the King, whom we celebrate today, is really about.
But even then, our God is a God of surprises. Sometimes the ridiculous, when gentle and well meaning, can also be sublime. Humour can be sublime. We heard some Lewis Carrol at our pub night. “Jabberwocky” is a good attempt of lifting the ridiculous to the sublime. Good jokes are usually premised on ridiculous stories having a sublimely funny quality. That is where Shakespeare and other great authors come in, making sublime stories from ridiculous situations. I am sure John can tell us stories of where the ridiculous is taken into the sublime in music. And I think of a place like Niagara Falls, where the sublime and the ridiculous exist side by side but their combination can have a certain charm, even a bit of the sublime.
Yet other ridiculous situations are horribly disturbing – racism, ignorance, hatred, violence, lying. Sadly, apparently this week’s Oxford Dictionary’s newest word is “post-truth”. Truly ridiculous and deeply disturbing. What is happening politically around the world, with movement from open borders to high walls, from common humanity to privileged identities, from love to hatred, is ultimately a kind of very dangerous ridiculousness, in which, for example, the country of one’s birth condemns or privileges a person, with no possibility of change. So far from the Kingdom of God!
Even in a world of war, violence, ignorance, racism, sexism, homophobia and high walls, Christ continues to reign. Human beings are created with free will and many times we have made a big mess of it. But we are called by God to walk the road of the Cross, working for love, peace and justice in all settings, turning over the tables of the money changers occasionally if necessary, speaking strongly if necessary, working for change; and allowing the sublime, through the grace of God, not to be suppressed but to continue to grow and flourish.
In the opening words of today’s first lesson: “May you be made strong with all the strength that comes from his glorious power, and may you be prepared to endure everything with patience, while joyfully giving thanks to the Father, who has enabled you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the light.”
It is a big challenge but it is worth it. We take on the holy ridiculousness of the Cross that we might share in Christ’s sublime glory, in this both life and the next. Thanks be to God!
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