Only the government of God can deliver a better world to live in. 

By Msgr. John Wynand Katende

Posted on: Thursday, 20th November 2025

Christ the King Church in Kampala is strategically and prophetically located. Its spiritual significance resonates beyond its sacred walls. The gospel of the Kingdom of God, proclaimed within and the worshipers’ prayer for the grace to do His will on earth as it is in heaven, extends to the nearby political and civic institutions. These include Central Police Station, Central Post Office, Central Bank, Constitutional Square, City Hall, the Parliament and the Main Street.

Contextually, the Church calendar closes with the feast of Christ the King of the universe. It corresponds to the end of time when Christ will return as King, to judge the living and the dead. The feast was introduced by Pope Pius XI in 1925 to provide sound guidance to cultural and political thought and practice. The Pope was prophetically responding to the historical context of political influences of totalitarianism, fascism and atheism and their threats to the religious liberty of Christ’s Church.

 Pope Pius XI teaches that Jesus’ kingship is rooted in His relationship to God the Father. Since they share the one and same essence, Christ has power over all creatures. His kingship extends into earthly matters, such as political and civil affairs. In fact, everyone who holds public authority exercises their power through the kingship of Christ. It is for this reason that such authorities are owed respect and obedience (Romans 13:1-2).

The Pope further reminds earthly rulers that they are bound to give public honor and obedience to Christ. At the last judgment they will be held accountable for their actions in building a just society. "When once men recognize, both in private and in public life, that Christ is king, society will at last receive the great blessings of real liberty, well-ordered discipline, peace and harmony." He said.

Christians must remember that their heavenly citizenship is to be real, practical, not just a theory. They have a moral responsibility to influence public policy for the common good; and to influence others, basing on Christian values. 

The current political, cultural and moral degeneration will only be resolved when Christ becomes the supreme authority over the entire world through the government of God! The politics of Jesus transcend any human political party or ideology. His message is about the government of God that will rule the world to bring about world peace!

“King of Peace” is one of Jesus’ titles. Instead of revolution or revolt, He taught and acted peace and nonviolence. During His trial by Pontius Pilate, Jesus said, “My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, My servants would fight, so that I would not be delivered to the Jews; but now My kingdom is not from here”. He, thus, laid emphasis on the divine origin of His Kingdom (John 18:33-36).

Jesus is the king who goes to the extent of weeping for those who reject His sacrificial love and servant leadership. During His triumphal entry into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, Jesus wept for the City for the same reason. The Jews had a purely political messiah in mind. Paradoxically, though being synonymous with peace, Jerusalem has generally witnessed violence. 

According to St. Paul in Galatians 1:3-4, this present evil age, including its governments, is largely influenced by Satan. Though they live in the world, Christians are instructed not to model their lives according to the politics of the world (Romans 12:2). They are called to be ambassadors of Christ’s kingship. Ambassadors are representatives of one government, living in another country.

However, some Christians do not respond to their call to be ambassadors of Jesus’ kingship, either because of fear or entanglement with fame, money, power, and self-aggrandizement and similar motives. 

The feast of Christ the King reminds us that the deepest issues facing humanity are spiritual in nature and will require spiritual solutions. Human politics cannot save souls or produce a truly better world to live in. Jesus compared the kingdom of God to the yeast added to the dough to make it rise, to a seed cast into the earth, or to salt that gives food its flavour; he said he had come not to judge the world, but to save it. 

The Gospel does not provide direct solutions to social problems. It does however contain useful principles by which concrete responses to different historical situations can be framed. Since social situations and problems change from one age to another, the Christian on each occasion is called to embody gospel principles in the situation of the moment. This is precisely the contribution made by the social encyclicals of the popes.

On the feast of Christ the King, we pray as our Savior taught us:”Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” (Matthew 6:10)