ELECTION REFLECTION – 2020
October 29 -- Q. 102. What do we pray for in the second petition? A. In the second petition, which is, “Thy kingdom come”, we pray that Satan’s kingdom may be destroyed; and that the kingdom of grace may be advanced, ourselves and others brought into it and kept in it; and that the kingdom of glory may be hastened.
Reflection:
As I reflected on this second petition, I was struck by how timely the Lord’s Prayer is in this election season. A time in which the United States (and the rest of the world) is anxiously waiting to see who will mount their respective thrones as some of the most powerful men and women in the world. We cannot help but wonder how these individuals might, for better or for worse, alter the trajectory of our lives and the societies around us.
The Lord’s prayer, however, pulls our attention away from our modern democracies, the election polls, the judicial benches, the economic coalitions; and presents us with a word that you probably won’t hear in the news: KINGDOM. What does it mean to pray “Thy kingdom come”? The catechism gives us an answer by contrasting two kingdoms.
The first kingdom is that of Satan – the enemy (1 Peter 5:8-9). From the moment of the Fall in Genesis 3, through all recorded history, and up to this very moment on October 29, 2020 A.D., the world has been deeply impacted by and under the oppression of the kingdom of Satan. We are powerless to stop its advance. In fact, even with humanity’s collective best efforts - the sophisticated social systems that are designed to pursue peace, prosperity, equality, and justice – it isn’t long before we realize that corruption runs deep. Cracks in the system emerge. Unintended consequences cause real harm. And we are faced with the reality that the world is under the curse of sin. We can’t fix it ourselves. We wrestle with spiritual forces of evil (Ephesians 6:12). This kingdom of Satan is evil and cannot coexist peaceably with the kingdom of God. And so, as God’s people, we pray that Satan’s kingdom may be destroyed.
The catechism then presents a second kingdom: a Kingdom of Grace. This is the kingdom that God promised immediately after the Fall (Genesis 3:14-15). This kingdom was ushered into the world when Christ spoke those words on the cross: “It is Finished”. It was on the cross that the fate of the Kingdom of Satan was sealed. This is the solution that we needed! And now, in the years following Christ’s death and victory over Satan, we pray for the advancement of this kingdom. We pray that the Kingdom of Grace would prevail over the Kingdom of Satan in practical ways, and that we and others would be brought into it and kept in it.
What about the Kingdom of Glory? This is not so much a different kingdom, but a different state in which God’s kingdom is manifested. As has often been quoted: “Grace is glory begun, and glory is grace consummated”. We look forward to the day when grace is consummated, made complete, and is perfected. In this Kingdom of Glory, the last futile grip of sin will finally be released. And we will experience the complete freedom of it is devastating effects on us (Revelation 21:4). We pray fervently that this Kingdom of Glory would be hastened.
New City Fellowship, as we reflect on the Lord’s Prayer during this election season, let us put the immediate affairs of the world into proper perspective and let us remember our high allegiance. God's people do not need a “win” in November. Jesus has already won the victory. And he has a plan for us that is better than anything Washington can give us. Let’s follow Him.
Elder Josh Vander Meulen