A major conference with major clap back happened earlier this year.
South by Southwest (SXSW) hosted the worlds of tech and culture in Texas. Like any conference, you’d find your typical fare: booths, thousands of people, keynote speakers, announcements, and more. Though I didn’t attend, one moment stood out to me.
Jay Graber, CEO of the Bluesky social app, had donned a t-shirt bearing the Latin phrase Mundus Sine Caesaribus which means “A world without Caesars.” She wore it during her hour-long keynote address about Bluesky’s approach to democratizing and safeguarding social media for the people.
So, what’s the deal?
Well, the shirt’s slogan is a callback (and major clap back) to Mark Zuckerberg’s wearing of a cringe-worthy shirt in the same style. TechCrunch [^1] captured the meaning of Zuckerberg’s shirt as such:
The Meta founder and CEO has directly compared himself to the Roman emperor Julius Caesar. His own shirt declared “Aut Zuck aut nihil,” which is a play on the Latin phrase “Aut Caesar aut nihil”: “Either Caesar or nothing.” 1.
Zuckerberg’s shirt literally read, All Zuck or all nothing. Though some would argue, “It’s just a shirt, who cares?” his phrase of choice is a callback to power-hungry and violent kingdoms of the past.
A Loaded History
Aut Caesar, aut nihil carries several meanings:
- All or nothing
- Emperor, or nothing
- A call to succeed at all costs
- A call to personal power
And it was a favorite phrase of Cesare Borgia, a “ruthless” cardinal and son of the pope who had dreams of becoming a prince no matter the cost.2.
Borgia marched against Italian cities to consolidate his power under his motto Aut Caesar, aut nihil. To finance his military campaigns, Borgia used papal funds. This money came from the church of Rome: its taxes, sales of indulgences, and offerings from people.
In short, Borgia’s dream to be like Caesar fueled his violent actions at the expense of everyday people.
This is why Jay Graber’s shirt hit so hard at the conference. In a world where techno-billionaires gain power and riches from our data, why wouldn’t we want a world without Caesars?
In Whose Image?
Jesus wasn’t popular with everyone, and his claims of being the Messiah rustled the political feathers of the religious elite. The Gospel of Matthew captures this fascinating scene when someone wanted to trap Jesus in his words:
“Teacher, we know that you are true and teach the way of God truthfully, and you do not care about anyone’s opinion, for you are not swayed by appearances. Tell us, then, what you think. Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?”
But Jesus, aware of their malice, said, “Why put me to the test, you hypocrites? Show me the coin for the tax.” And they brought him a denarius. And Jesus said to them, “Whose likeness and inscription is this?”
They said, “Caesar’s.”
Then he said to them, “Therefore render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.”
When they heard it, they marveled. And they left him and went away.
(Matthew 22:16–22)
It was commonplace back then for coins and shrines to deify the emperor. It’s likely that coin with Caesar’s image proclaimed his divine status, but Jesus turned their trap around: Humanity bears the image of God (see Genesis 1). Sure, we honor laws and pay taxes, but to honor God above all else is our highest calling.
Only One Lord
The early Christians had this same tension. The church at Philippi resided in a Roman colony where worship of Caesar through an “emperor cult” was commonplace.3. The civilians would have “revered Caesar as ‘Lord.’” The Christian witness, then, flew in the face of Caesar: Only Jesus the Messiah is Lord despite being surrounded by other lords or authorities.
Only one is worthy of worship.
This means the Gospel of Jesus is spiritual and political. It proclaims a King who is above all earthly powers, and it calls Christ’s followers to follow Him rather than Caesar.
Of all people, American Christians should be the first to say, “We only have one King. We do not need any more Caesars in this world.”
Is Caesar Your King?
You may be intentionally or unknowingly following and proclaiming Caesar with your life. If so, here are some warning signs:
- You worry about the image of your political leader at the expense of people who are created in the image of God.
- Rather than sitting at the feet of Jesus to learn from Him, you allow your heart and mind to follow the ideologies of extreme nationalism.
- You’d rather defend the actions of your political leader than defend clear biblical teachings.
- You often feel irritation—even hatred—for the other, specifically immigrants, the poor, and the marginalized (people for whom Christ deeply cared about in his earthly ministry).
- Your love of Caesar has dulled your heart and mind to hearing the deep truths of the Gospel.
Is Christ Your King?
Of all people, American Christians should be the first to say, “We only have one King. We do not need any more Caesars in this world.”
Here are some tell-tale signs that Jesus is your King rather than Caesar:
- You lead with humility and prayer when approaching complicated issues (Matthew 5:1-9).
- You defer to the Bible’s teachings rather than personal preferences.
- You look to and hope for the return of Jesus more than the ascendancy of a political icon (Revelation 19:1-10).
- You have a reverential awe for Jesus and fear God more than people (Proverbs 1:7).
- Your love for Christ compels you to love others and to pour yourself out for them (Philippians 2).
- You know God cares about justice, and you want to see others held accountable for the good of all (Proverbs 11:1).
- You know God is the true Judge. Even the most powerful will be held to account in the end. (Matthew 12:33-37).
- You believe only true forgiveness, reconciliation, and ultimate healing is found in Jesus (Revelation 21:1-4).
Your Life’s T-Shirt
Imagine your life as a t-shirt. Your words, actions, and allegiances sprawled across the face of this shirt in large type…
- What would your shirt say?
- Which Lord (or 'lord') would it proclaim?
- Does your life wave the standard of Caesar or of Christ?
In short, whom would others say you follow?
References
1. Amanda Silberling, “At SXSW, Bluesky CEO Jay Graber Pokes Fun at Mark Zuckerberg with Latin Phrase T-Shirt,” TechCrunch, March 10, 2025, accessed March 19, 2025, https://techcrunch.com/2025/03/10/at-sxsw-bluesky-ceo-jay-graber-pokes-fun-at-mark-zuckerberg-with-latin-phrase-t-shirt/.
2. Mallett, Michael Edward. “Cesare Borgia.” Encyclopedia. Britannica. Last modified March 22, 2025. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Cesare-Borgia.
3. Polhill, J. B. (2009). Paul and His Letters (3rd ed.). Broadman & Holman, pg. 174.
