Who is Caesar? – The Justice Conference 2017
A dramatization of the Shakespeare play Julius Caesar caused consternation on the right for the similarity of the title character to Donald Trump. Never mind that Obama received his own share of “Caesar” interpretations. I found this all a little ironic on a day when I heard a speaker discuss a similar question at The Justice Conference.
Ed Rene Kivitz is the pastor of Agua Branca Baptist Church in Sao Paolo, Brazil. His talk was translated from Portuguese to English by a young student, Rebecca, who was more than equal to his passion and oratory skill. It was a powerful, riveting talk. And a blistering dressing down of American Christians who seek power in high places.
He preached from the text of the Sermon on the Mount, arguing that the Beatitudes (blessings) are not rewards for being poor, meek, and in mourning, but rather for pledging allegiance to the Kingdom of God, to King Jesus. In the Roman Empire, to be a Christian was to be oppressed by those in power. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus was promising Kingdom blessings to les miserables, His followers.
Pastor Kivitz compared the culture of American exceptionalism to the oppressive Roman Empire of the New Testament, making the case that we are so embedded in our culture that we cannot see clearly how American Christians idolize the rich and powerful, at the expense of the poor and vulnerable. The Kingdom of God promises blessings not to white Christians who have sold their souls for power, but to the powerless minorities. Power is not a blessing that is given to Christians in our political system; it is a blessing given for fidelity in the Kingdom of God.
So who is Caesar? “El Presidente de Brazil, Michele Temer, is a caesar. Putin is a caesar. Assad is a caesar. Erdogan is a caesar…Donald Trump…is a caesar.” Ouch. I’m convicted, and I don’t even like Trump. I certainly didn’t vote for him. But I am guilty of idolatry of empire on occasion. ? May God forgive me.