As Holy Week started on Palm Sunday, “Christ is King” began trending on X (formerly Twitter). That these a statement is controversial in our submit-Christian country is a supplied.
The cause for the controversy, nonetheless, may perhaps be astonishing.
Politicization of a essential fact
Given that the January 6 Capitol assault, fears of Christian nationalism have led several to search askance at anything at all resembling the ideology, including declarations of Christ’s lordship. Nonetheless, the most the latest controversy issues allegations that “Christ is King” is being utilised as an “anti-semitic dogwhistle” alternatively than the proclamation of God’s sovereignty it is supposed to be.
At the heart of the dispute is a slipping out among conservative commentators Candace Owens and Ben Shapiro about the Israel-Gaza conflict. In an exchange on X in November of 2023, Owens tweeted “Christ is King”, evidently in reaction to Shapiro’s criticism of her protection of Israel’s involvement in Gaza. Owens’ motives for applying the declaration have appear less than suspicion, presented that she was just lately fired from the conservative network Everyday Wire for reported antisemitism.
Fears of antisemitism behind the declaration have accompanied its trending status.
Immediately after the phrase commenced trending on X, Each day Wire host Andrew Klavan expressed worry that the phrase was remaining utilized “to indicate that God has abandoned his decided on folks, the Jews . . . and that he has damaged his promises” to them. Declarations that “Christ is King” by non-Christian figures like Andrew Tate have raised eyebrows along these lines. Tate, an influencer controversial for his open embrace of misogyny, converted to Islam many many years back and has derided Christianity as weak, primary a lot of to question why he would echo the foundational truth of the matter of the faith he disdains.
Christ is King. But what motivates our declarations?
Irrespective of the on line firestorm about the assertion, “Christ is King” continues to be fundamentally correct. Philippians 2:9–11 tells us that “God exalted him to the best position, and gave him the identify that is above each and every identify, that at the identify of Jesus just about every knee need to bow . . . and each tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord.” But weaponizing this reality as a way to deride the Jewish people today is antithetical to Jesus’ mission.
Jesus, Israel’s promised Messiah, arrived to save “the missing sheep of Israel” (Matthew 15:24). To mock Jewish people with the gospel meant for them is an affront to God, and if we talk the fact without having appreciate, we are nothing at all but a “resounding gong or a clanging cymbal” (1 Corinthians 13:1). The gospel is not intended to alienate the Jewish individuals from Jesus. On the opposite, it is “the energy of God that brings salvation to anyone who believes: 1st to the Jew, then to the Gentile” (Romans 1:16).
Over and above rumored antisemitism, the self-centered nature of social media platforms like X generates a prospective dilemma when it will come to sharing our faith. Chris Martin, creator of The Wolf in Their Pockets, cautions that social media “rewards divisiveness” and can direct us to worship ourselves. When we’re far more targeted on curating our on-line presence than we are on honoring God, statements like “Christ is King” can very easily be misappropriated for own acquire.
Responding to the statement’s trending status, Twitch streamer Kangmin Lee warned in opposition to utilizing Christ’s identify as a way to obtain popularity or social clout. “‘Christ is King’ should really be proclaimed for His glory, not our personal,” Lee wrote. “If you say it for your very own acquire, you crown oneself as king more than your lifetime, not Christ.” In reality, Jesus rebukes individuals who use his name in this way: “This folks honors me with their lips, but their hearts are significantly from me” (Matthew 15:8).
What to question your self when sharing God’s reality on the internet
At the conclude of the working day, we can each rejoice that the gospel is remaining preached and resist the globe’s tries to dilute or pervert it. In Philippians 1:18, Paul rejoices that “whether from untrue motives or legitimate, Christ is preached.” No matter of the motivations driving its trending position, “Christ is King” spreads the central information of the gospel to all those who could in no way have read it. Commentator Allie Beth Stuckey echoed Paul’s sentiments while pointing out the require to phone out egocentric ambition in which it exists.
As Christians, every little thing we do ought to be completed in love, which include sharing the gospel on line (1 Corinthians 16:14). When we declare Christ’s lordship on social media, we really should analyze our possess hearts.
- Are we trying to find God’s glory or short-term web fame?
- Are we speaking in enjoy, wanting a lost globe to know his kindness, or are we throwing “Christ is King” all around for general public acceptance? Or, worse, to harm other folks?
Just as God cherished the entire world by sending his Son (John 3:16), we should really do the exact by spreading the great information with no “selfish ambition or vain conceit” (Philippians 2:3).
We really should always put others’ pursuits ahead of our own—especially when a little something as severe as salvation is at stake. As we spread the good news throughout social media, let’s stick to Jesus’ instance and do all issues in really like.
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