by Kelly Pelton (written 29 Nov 2024)

The new regime of Jesus Christ the King
is led by Him as Spirit in us all,
no privilege by gender does He bring,
no ruling class of strong over the small.

When every person's valued equally,
allegiance to the entrenched order fades;
we see new social possibility
when free of worldly social barricades.

Conventional arrangements of who's first/
pre-eminent/in charge, these shrink away
as Christians seek alternatives, their thirst
for deep community a beaming ray

of hope amidst the gloomy old world order.
Let us live God's kingdom, not subscribing
to one gender being a power hoarder;
His impartial love we keep imbibing.

We live in worldly hierarchies for now.
Let not the church buy in to carnal ranking
but lift the disempowered, showing how
upon the equity of God we're banking.

*Credit given to Walter Brueggemann for ideas and phrasings, "Wonderful Counselor" chapter in Names for the Messiah, published 2016 by Westminster John Knox Press.