As Holy Week started on Palm Sunday, “Christ is King” started trending on X (previously Twitter). That such an announcement is controversial in our post-Christian nation is a given.
The explanation for the controversy, nonetheless, could also be stunning.
Politicization of a basic reality
Because the January 6 Capitol assault, fears of Christian nationalism have led many to look askance at something resembling the ideology, together with declarations of Christ’s lordship. Nonetheless, the latest controversy issues allegations that “Christ is King” is getting used as an “anti-semitic dogwhistle” fairly than the proclamation of God’s sovereignty it’s meant to be.
On the coronary heart of the dispute is a falling out between conservative commentators Candace Owens and Ben Shapiro over the Israel-Gaza battle. In an trade on X in November of 2023, Owens tweeted “Christ is King”, evidently in response to Shapiro’s criticism of her protection of Israel’s involvement in Gaza. Owens’ motives for utilizing the declaration have come underneath suspicion, provided that she was not too long ago fired from the conservative community Day by day Wire for reported antisemitism.
Fears of antisemitism behind the declaration have accompanied its trending standing.
After the phrase started trending on X, Day by day Wire host Andrew Klavan expressed concern that the phrase was getting used “to imply that God has deserted his chosen individuals, the Jews . . . and that he has damaged his guarantees” to them. Declarations that “Christ is King” by non-Christian figures like Andrew Tate have raised eyebrows alongside these strains. Tate, an influencer controversial for his open embrace of misogyny, transformed to Islam a number of years in the past and has derided Christianity as weak, main many to query why he would echo the foundational reality of the religion he disdains.
Christ is King. However what motivates our declarations?
Regardless of the net firestorm over the assertion, “Christ is King” stays essentially true. Philippians 2:9–11 tells us that “God exalted him to the very best place, and gave him the identify that’s above each identify, that on the identify of Jesus each knee ought to bow . . . and each tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord.” However weaponizing this reality as a method to deride the Jewish individuals is antithetical to Jesus’ mission.
Jesus, Israel’s promised Messiah, got here to save lots of “the misplaced sheep of Israel” (Matthew 15:24). To mock Jewish individuals with the gospel meant for them is an affront to God, and if we communicate the reality with out love, we’re nothing however a “resounding gong or a clanging cymbal” (1 Corinthians 13:1). The gospel just isn’t meant to alienate the Jewish individuals from Jesus. Quite the opposite, it’s “the ability of God that brings salvation to everybody who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile” (Romans 1:16).
Past rumored antisemitism, the self-focused nature of social media platforms like X creates a possible drawback in terms of sharing our religion. Chris Martin, writer of The Wolf in Their Pocketscautions that social media “rewards divisiveness” and might lead us to worship ourselves. After we’re extra targeted on curating our on-line presence than we’re on honoring God, statements like “Christ is King” can simply be misappropriated for private achieve.
Responding to the assertion’s trending standing, Twitch streamer Kangmin Lee warned against utilizing Christ’s identify as a method to achieve reputation or social clout. “‘Christ is King’ must be proclaimed for His glory, not our personal,” Lee wrote. “When you say it in your personal achieve, you crown your self as king over your life, not Christ.” The truth is, Jesus rebukes those that use his identify on this manner: “This individuals honors me with their lips, however their hearts are removed from me” (Matthew 15:8).
What to ask your self when sharing God’s reality on-line
On the finish of the day, we are able to each rejoice that the gospel is being preached and resist the world’s makes an attempt to dilute or pervert it. In Philippians 1:18, Paul rejoices that “whether or not from false motives or true, Christ is preached.” Whatever the motivations behind its trending standing, “Christ is King” spreads the central message of the gospel to those that might by no means have heard it. Commentator Allie Beth Stuckey echoed Paul’s sentiments whereas pointing out the need to call out selfish ambition the place it exists.
As Christians, all the pieces we do must be finished in love, together with sharing the gospel on-line (1 Corinthians 16:14). After we declare Christ’s lordship on social media, we must always study our personal hearts.
- Are we in search of God’s glory or non permanent web fame?
- Are we talking in love, needing a misplaced world to know his kindness, or are we throwing “Christ is King” round for public approval? Or, worse, to harm others?
Simply as God liked the world by sending his Son (John 3:16), we must always do the identical by spreading the excellent news with out “egocentric ambition or useless conceit” (Philippians 2:3).
We should always at all times put others’ pursuits forward of our personal—particularly when one thing as severe as salvation is at stake. As we unfold the excellent news throughout social media, let’s comply with Jesus’ instance and do all issues in love.
