Presented at Sudbury Memorial UCC Church, November 25, 2012
Scripture: John 18:33-37
Prologue…
Today we celebrate “Christ the King” or “The Reign of Christ” Sunday, the last Sunday of the Liturgical year, a time when we ponder the meaning of Christ’s Lordship here on earth, and in our lives.
In exploring this today, we will focus on the topic of Fact vs. Faith. For us to allow the Son of God to have Lordship over our lives, then Christ must be real and tangible truth to us in some way. But, what does that mean? How do faith, fact and truth intersect? How does the truth of Christ become reality in our lives?
In 1975, James Cone, a well known African American Theologian, got right to the heart of this issue when he wrote that “Jesus is Black.” People were shocked by this, as you might imagine. Many rejected the idea, others tried to understand it as a metaphor. But Cone insisted, saying that his critics didn’t understand, the TRUTH is that for African Americans, Jesus is Black. He must be, otherwise, Jesus is not talking to those of us who are African Americans, but only to those who are White. In order for Jesus to speak to us, to really be what he says he is – God with Us – then, for Cone and many others, Jesus must be Black. Otherwise, Jesus is not someone that Cone can relate to as a member of a race that has been oppressed and marginalized for centuries because of the color of their skin.
In hearing this, our reaction may be “But, that’s not the truth!”
Really? How can we be sure? …Does it matter?
Continue reading “An Expository Reading of Pilate’s Questioning of Jesus”
The Here and the Hereafter 