We're not too fond of kings in our country. Absolute power, typically associated with a monarchy, tends to be a negative political system for ordinary folks. You can't appeal the decisions or policies of a monarch. You certainly can't vote a king out of office. History is filled with examples of monarchs who lived at the expense of their subjects, using a combination of burdensome taxes, self-serving wars and suppression to preserve their power and wealth.

Today we celebrate Christ the King, an entirely different kind of monarch. "I myself will look after and tend my sheep," God says through the prophet Ezekiel in the first reading. "I will rescue them from every place where they were scattered when it was cloudy and dark… The lost I will seek out, the strayed I will bring back, the injured I will bind up, the sick I will heal."

Our King cares for us like a shepherd cares for his sheep. He does not ask us to fight his battles, nor does he ask us to fund his kingdom. Quite the opposite. Christ the King lays down his life for his people, and invites us to live at his expense.

All our King asks of us is that we serve him by reaching out to the needy people in our communities as he has reached out and served us. In today's Gospel, Jesus declares that those who feed the hungry, clothe the naked, and visit the imprisoned will be welcomed into his heavenly kingdom.

While our country eschews monarchy, our political system can be just as irresponsible and self-serving. One need only recall the recent election and all of its negative campaigning, and the corporate and political greed and finger pointing that has accompanied our current economic crisis. Christ the King points us to a different way of living and relationship: service and community, not acquisition and self-protection.

The laws of this Heavenly Kingdom are like the laws of gravity and mathematics; they do not change to suit the fads or opinions of any generation. The last shall be first. The meek will inherit the earth. The wicked shall perish. And as today's Gospel states, "Whatever you did for the least brothers of mine, you did for me." No filibuster or ballot proposition will change these truths.

First Sunday of Advent
"Be watchful! Be alert!" Jesus tells his followers in today's Gospel. "You do not know when the time will come."

Advent is a season of anticipation. Just as the Israelites were to be on the lookout for the Messiah, so are we to be alert to the appearance of God in our lives and in our world. Of course, once Thanksgiving is over and the retail holiday season revs into high gear, it is easy to forget that presence of God is the focus of this season. Images of Santa Claus, Rudolph and Frosty can obscure our view of the arrival of Jesus.

But Advent is not just a history lesson. Advent calls us to watch for the arrival of God into our lives now. We may be inclined to watch for dramatic events to herald the presence of God, who may indeed speak to us through the recent election, the financial upheaval, the foreclosure crisis and other events.

Just as likely, it seems to me, God may arrive in a completely unexpected manner - through a neighbor in need, or through the generosity of a stranger. We would be well advised to be watchful not just for how God might be at work on the world stage, but also for how God might be present in each of our lives.

I generally welcome Advent as a time filled with good cheer and good will. People are a bit nicer to one another, towns and stores are decorated, lights and signs wish people happy holidays and peace on earth --- warmth amidst the chill of winter.

I don't usually think of Advent as a time when I should be looking to see God at work in my life, my job, my family and my relationships. I don't usually have a sense of heightened expectation that I will experience the Incarnation in a powerful way. I'm not nearly as watchful and alert as I could be.

Advent 2008 takes place during a time of historic change in our country and our economy in ways that impact each one of us. Jobs and homes are disappearing; fear and anxiety are driving markets and families. Perhaps we can each take some time during these next four Sundays to look beyond the headlines and 401k statements, and be alert for the presence of God in our lives.

Bill Peatman writes from Napa.