Discipleship Over Dominance: A Call to Expansive Love

When I sat with our lectionary passages this week, I found a beautiful, unifying harmony between them. They speak directly to the heart of our faith, but they also speak with urgency to our present time. In Matthew’s gospel, we find ourselves standing on a mountain. Unlike the other gospels, Matthew gives us no cozy “upper room” stories; this is the very first time the disciples have the opportunity to see the risen Christ. Matthew tells us that when they saw him, they worshipped him, but some doubted.

Isn’t there a profound comfort in that? Even in the presence of the resurrected Christ, humanity is messy. Yet, despite their hesitation, Jesus trusts them. He commissions them, and by extension, he commissions us.

The Great Commission and Evolving Faith

We often hear Jesus’s command to “go and make disciples of all nations” and assume it means we are supposed to forcefully convert the world. But New Testament scholar Matthew Skinner reminds us that this passage is not about imperialistic conversion or bringing a spirit of separatism to our communities. To “make disciples” simply means to teach others the ways of Jesus. It means walking the walk of mercy, grace, and expansive love.

Skinner also points out something fascinating about the words Jesus uses: “in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” We know from the Apostle Paul’s earlier letters that the first Christians baptized only in the name of Jesus. The Trinitarian language we see in Matthew actually reflects the liturgical practices of the late first-century church.

This is a beautiful reminder that scripture itself demonstrates an evolution of thought. It took time for the early church’s understanding of God to grow and expand. In the same way, our understanding of how God moves in the world continues to evolve today, calling us to widen our circles of grace.

The Idol of Power vs. The Image of God

As we consider what it means to follow Jesus today, we must look honestly at the competing narratives around us. One of the deeply troubling ideologies permeating our society right now is Christian Nationalism. This is an ideology that believes a nation was founded as explicitly Christian and seeks to achieve dominance in political, cultural, and social life. It relies on a framing of us versus them, prioritizing ethno-cultural supremacy while leaning heavily on the fear of the other.

While Christian Nationalism uses Christian vocabulary, it seldom lives out Christian values. When you peel back the curtain, you do not find the Beatitudes. You find a love of power rather than a love for God. Elements of this movement have inspired prejudice against minority groups, immigrants, and our LGBTQI+ siblings. We see it plainly south of our border with the culling of military chaplains and the defunding of aid programs, but make no mistake: it is present right here in Canadian society, too.

The antidote to this harmful ideology is found right in our reading from Genesis: “So God created humankind in his image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them” (Gen 1:27). If we truly believe that every single person is created in the Imago Dei—the image of God—then we must reject systems that say otherwise. Attitudes of supremacy regarding race, gender, and Indigenous identity are a direct rejection of God’s divine image in our neighbors.

Moving from Comfort to Action

Both The Presbyterian Church in Canada and The United Church of Canada have boldly spoken out against Christian Nationalism. Our denomination affirms that any doctrine or practice advocating for the superiority of one people over another is “racist, scientifically false, legally invalid, morally condemnable and socially unjust.”

Yet, I have a colleague, a Presbyterian minister and a woman of colour, who has faced discrimination right inside the church. This reminds us that it is not enough to simply believe the right things on paper. We must systematically dismantle the systems of oppression around us. We can no longer afford to be “comfortable Christians” resting on the privilege our institutions have historically enjoyed.

Both The Presbyterian Church in Canada and The United Church of Canada have recently spoken out on Christian Nationalism. Both of those statements were shared on our congregations Facebook page. Both denominations have also shared information in their national publications Broadview and the Presbyterian Connection on the subject of Christian Nationalism.

Before his death, Jack Layton famously wrote, “My friends, love is better than anger. Hope is better than fear. Optimism is better than despair. So let us be loving, hopeful and optimistic. And we’ll change the world.” I agree with him, but those outlooks must lead us to action. Love is a verb. We must actively counter harmful theologies by doing the hard, holy work of listening to the oppressed.

As I prepare for the General Assembly next week, the National Indigenous Ministries Council reminds me of this ongoing work. They note that colonial attitudes are deeply embedded in the Canadian consciousness, are a well-kept secret, not taught in schools until recently. Canadians are often, therefore, either apathetic or in denial until they learn and accept the truth. resulting in systemic poverty, generational trauma, and the tragedy of missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls. Yet, they also remind us that the Creator has preserved them, offering hope and faith that we must now stand alongside in solidarity.

An Invitation to the Table

Engaging in this work is complex. Pablo Sun Kim, the Intercultural Liaison for the Presbyterian Church, writes that the church sits at the intersection of our most challenging conversations: race, inclusion, colonialism, and tradition. He notes, “This complexity is not a weakness; it is potentially our greatest strength. These tensions, engaged prayerfully, can move us beyond either/or thinking toward creative both/and possibilities.” The Apostle Paul echoed a similar sentiment when he urged the bitterly divided church in Corinth to seek peace and collective growth.

In a few moments, I will stand behind the communion table. It is a simple table but it reminds us of the last meal Jesus shared with his friends before being arrested by the religious and secular authorities.

What was his crime?

He dared to point out the injustices of the world. He dared to remind people that the socio-economic and military policies that existed then were unjust and I dare say that some 2000 years later we have done no better. Injustices occur daily and many of our laws benefit the wealthiest in society. We strip protections for the poor and vulnerable. Our elderly are neglected and cast aside. We are sold promises which focus only on our own needs, we are pitted one against the other.

We won’t always agree on how to fix these massive, daunting issues. Like the disciples on that mountain, some of us will believe confidently, and some of us will doubt. But Jesus still asks us to go out into the world and teach what he taught. He taught love, he taught peace, and he taught mercy. In doing so, he broke down barriers of race, ethnicity, and gender.

Friends, let us go and do likewise. Amen.