REIGN!

Those are his digs. The Pope’s, I mean. AKA appartamento pontifici. It’s that grayish building on the right as you stand in St. Peter’s Square, right behind the massive colonnades of Bernini. On the top floor, the last window on the right is his bedroom. The window on the left is that of his study. Apparently if you visit the Square at night as a Poping Tom (nope, not original with me!), you can spot the midnight oil being burnt by Benedict XVI. On some Sundays, the Holy Father himself appears at the window to bless the throngs below.

That’s where he lives. And from there he surveys his “kingdom”—the Holy See (from the Latin sedes for “seat”), the central government of the Catholic Church, kinda like the “Crown” in the British monarchy. The Holy See dates back to the first century. It is an curious entity that has authority and jurisdiction and sovereignty to govern a worldwide constituency of Roman Catholics, while at the same time having neither permanent population nor a defined territory.

There is Another that has a worldwide—nay, universe-wide—jurisdiction. In a sense all people are under him and all territory his.

God highly exalted Him,
and bestowed on Him the name
which is above every name,
so that at the name of Jesus
every knee will bow,
of those who are in heaven and on earth
and under the earth,
and that every tongue will confess
that Jesus Christ is Lord.
Philippians 2:9–11

Or as Isaac Watts wrote in 1719

Jesus shall reign where’er the sun
Does his successive journeys run;
His kingdom stretch from shore to shore,
Till moons shall wax and wane no more.

He deserves this position. He created everything.

For by Him all things were created,
in the heavens and on earth,
visible and invisible,
whether thrones or dominions
or rulers or authorities—
all things have been created
through Him and for Him.
He is before all things, and
in Him all things hold together.
Colossians 1:16–17

One day, soon and very soon, this King will come and this Kingdom will be established.

And the government will
rest on His shoulders;
And His name will be called
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.
There will be no end to
the increase of His government or of peace,
On the throne of David and over his kingdom,
To establish it and to uphold it
with justice and righteousness
From then on and forevermore.
Isaiah 9:6–7

He’s coming, to set things right.

But, even right now, he reigns as Head of the Church, the universal body of believers.

He is also head of the body, the church.
Colossians 1:18

He is the Head of the Church, because He redeemed His own.

Worthy are You …
for You were slain,
and purchased for God with Your blood
those from every tribe and tongue
and people and nation.
Revelation 5:9

So believers in Christ are in a curious state (pun intended). Part of a Reign that already is, but not yet.

Interestingly, this curious state is reflected in the Vatican. One can never be a citizen of the Vatican alone. The Pope, for example, is citizen both of the City State of The Vatican as well as Germany. And appropriately enough, the Vatican issues only—yes, only—diplomatic passports. All of its 500-odd “citizens” are technically diplomats.

So are we, the citizens of the already, but not yet. Diplomats representing the King.

Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ.
2 Corinthians 5:20

Let’s go live for the Kingdom.