Inauguration Day
Everyone puts the crown on someone.
Power, Policies & Personnel
It is inauguration day. At 12pm Eastern time, 35 words will be uttered by our new President, effectively transitioning power and the office from one person to the next:
“I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States.”
Whatever your political affiliation, it will be a historic day, as Joe Biden will become the oldest U.S. President ever sworn in at age 78; and Kamala Harris will be the first female, Black and South Asian Vice President.
The inaugural process itself is an interesting one, as it has the sense of the coronation of a King rather than the ratification of a person’s policies and the leaders underneath them. The U.S. President may be the most powerful and influential person in the world, but the majority of the day to day operations and impact will be made by those under their leadership — most of whom are not selected, or confirmed until after the President is elected and inaugurated. According to Whitehouse.gov:
“The President is both the head of state and head of government of the United States of America, as well as Commander-in-Chief of the armed forces. Under Article II of the Constitution, the President is responsible for the execution and enforcement of laws created by Congress. Fifteen executive departments—each led by an appointed member of the President’s Cabinet—carry out the day-to-day administration of the Federal Government.”
This means that upon inauguration day, our system has crowned a King, but we do not completely know the King’s policies or personnel. This makes us uncomfortable to a certain degree, maybe to a big degree. Nominations for posts such as Secretary of Treasury, State, or Attorney General may come as a surprise after the fact and may or may not even align with the people who voted in the King in the first place. It’s a gamble. Inadvertently, parts of our system have turned the Presidency into a modified monarchy, sometimes with disastrous results.
Monarchies don’t exactly have a storied and nostalgic history. America became a country precisely to get out from being underneath one; Napoleon famously crowned himself, signaling a transition of power from the church to himself; Alexander the Great conquered 3,000 miles of territory from Greece to India only to have it fall into disarray after his death; and many of the Kings in the Old Testament weren’t pillars of faith, justice or faithfulness to God even if they were supposed to be.
Inaugurated, crowned, killed
The idea of being ruled, governed and protected by a King seems a bit antiquated today; but at one point people actually saw Kings as a way of legitimizing a nation, of proper judgment of people, and as a form of consolidating and clarifying power. 1 Samuel 8:1-22 shows the nation of Israel’s rejection of God as their true King, and their unhealthy trajectory away from a Theocracy and towards a political monarchy. It did not go well.
Today, the narrative is similar even if the geography has changed. Many Christians in America possess an unhealthy amount of interest in politics generally; and place too much of their hope in elected officials specifically. The idea that God is King, seems challenging to grasp because we have given God’s crown to human beings who will continue to let us down, cause division or worse.
So, on this inauguration day, it is helpful to remember the True King’s inauguration which looked so unlike what we will witness today.
Luke 19:28-38 captures the story well. Jesus is finally ready to publicly make His intentions known, acknowledge the title of King, and accept the consequences of challenging both the religious and political ruling classes. While we acknowledge a new president during inauguration day, Jesus enters Jerusalem on lamb selection day — the day where Jewish families would select a lamb to be sacrificed on their behalf and to commemorate the Passover where God rescued them out of slavery in Egypt.
As He rides into town, not in a motorcade, but on a humble donkey, Jesus accepts the praises of those who shout: “Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!” He rides, not to a podium where those who elected Him await a rousing speech; but to a cross for those who reject Him and love Him alike, as the lamb who willingly would sacrifice Himself — as the King who would die. Later that week, Jesus would be painfully crowned with thorns on His head, and a mocking sign that read ‘King’ above His head. His inauguration had begun.
There would be no shaking hands, photo shoots or grand speeches. Jesus would simply hand off the care of His mother to John as He hung on the cross and gave up His spirit.
There would be no great applause to congratulate Him on His new office. All those who loved Him were heartbroken, scared and hopeless. Only Jesus’ enemies would look on with approval.
There would be no hope of four years of power and influence. Jesus’ body would sit in a tomb for days, while His ‘cabinet’ of 12 disciples fled and disowned Him.
There would be no new King. The King had lost to the religious rulers, the political pundits and the destiny of death.
Until He is crowned with glory, three days later.
In reality, inauguration day took place a few thousand years ago on a small patch of land in the Middle East, where the King is first crowned in jest and humiliation; and then in glory by God the Father in Heaven.
I hope as we look to whatever happens in 2021, we remember that the true King still rules, His reign has begun, and He will bring life, righteousness and peace when He returns. All hail the King.