& GIVE YOUR ALLEGIANCE TO THIS ANNOUNCEMENT, this heralded leadership proclamation (& thus its sender, and herald)!*

 

---

It's been fun spending time considering each of these five phrases in Jesus's gospel to Jewish people (according to Mk1:15):

• TIME IS FULFILLED*!

• THE KINGDOM/REIGN OF GOD('s..

• ..help) IS NEAR.

• GIVE UP YOUR OWN AGENDAS, &..

• ..GIVE YOUR ALLEGIANCE TO THIS ANNOUNCEMENT (& thus its sender and deliverer).

This reflection is about the last, the fifth, phrase (& the last part of a pair)*:

---

..give your allegiance to this heralded leadership proclamation (& thus its sender, and herald)!*

---

The god, the boss, the lord, of me, & us

must be identified by  evidence

(that's worthy of what changes, & what fuss,

will be demanded now & future). Hence,

since all such do exist, they'll understand

our need to think well, then to weigh up too,

about the truth of each claim & demand;

the honesty, integrity of who

announces, or declaims, or prophesies,

communications to us from the God

(by which I mean creative love which tries

to grow more that in people who have got

the special right & claim of "likeness" to

this same creative love which sources all,

that has authority that's good and true.

And humans have ability to haul

the world into a curs'ed state, it seems,

as leaders, though we may have need to foll-

-ow leaders from amongst us, as we deem

such as have earned the right, that are not holl-

ow. But have proved by quality of life

(& death, if that could be achieved as well);

their wisdom and consistency both rife,

as carpenter who used to truly dwell

in Nazareth, a village  occupied

both by some foreign forces, & by his

own fam'ly who must build where men have tried

to build before, one fam'ly, with one biz-

ness to get on, and set the world arights,

that's starting with a fire of wind & flame

to burn the rubbish, or with cleansing rites,

to clean us up, and set us off again!

In new creation, new relationships -

the old attempts must now be done away,

and new allegiances be formed, and trips

and falls be overcome, wisely today!

He's now been set apart by God Most High,

this human ruler chosen to reveal

the kind of life creative love lets fly

with wisdom, in a resurrection deal.

But furthermore, on being raised up, to

send back his spirit, breath or wind, as an

alongsider, a counselor, one who

would teach and guide, to grow each woman/ man.

Creator, Father, of his children here,

has designated One as Lord of Earth,

and Sky, & Death & Life. For he is near,

this Jesus, picked as Christ before his birth.

---

*    as Jesus said: "‘But you are not to be called “Rabbi”, for you have one Teacher, and you are all brothers. And do not call anyone on earth “father”, for you have one Father, and he is in heaven. Nor are you to be called instructors, for you have one Instructor, the Christ." Matthew 23:8‭-‬12 Where Christ was the Greek word for the Hebrew concept of Messiah, & both simply meant anointed. An ancient ritual for designating, and making leadership public to those present. Leadership, as king, prophet, priest, in ancient Isra'el and surrounding nations. THE CHRIST came to be expected as the leader of all leaders, i.e. king, prophet, priest (& priestly sacrifice), with a new style of leadership, serving! As Jesus continues: "The[b] greatest among you will be your servant. 12 And whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted"

---