We grow up watching Disney movies, and dreaming that someday our prince will come, but then you get older, and you get jaded. On one hand you meet actual boys, you give them your heart and try to be a princess, but in the end they break it, and they didn't even own a horse!
Then, as a girl, maybe you become a Christian. Then, you find a different kind of Prince who will never break your heart, and you start tuning into a kingdom beyond the mundane and the fairy tale. You realize that you actually are a princess. You bear what's called the imago dei or the image of God, and that makes you valuable. You are valuable because you are human. We are different from all other creatures, because we are not bodies; we ARE souls. And that makes us all equal and valuable. And then, the gospel speaks in. We were slaves to this world, and Christ bought us, and freed us, and brought us into his house making us royalty. Remember, how much I love the British Monarchy (even though they have deep dark secrets that I ignore)? Well, maybe that allure is because they are living embodiments of what actually is. Though, like all things this side of heaven, they are poor shadows of the truth. Which leads to my next observation...
If you're intellectual and curious like me, you also take this princess idea to a different level. In America, we grow up loving the rule of the people, the res publica, our flag, our vote, and our world-wide fame of being a democracy. We don't do kingdoms. We don't like absolute rule. We like this idea that we vote for people who will watch out for us and do what we say. But that's not really how it works. So few people vote, and those who are voted in never do what they are supposed to do. So in the end about 20% of the populace chooses a little over 500 people (vs. a population of over 313 million) who feel that their office gives them a lot of power to reign over us poor peasants.
And then, again if you're weird like me, you study current events, history, and the Bible. Those things make you see kingdoms, kings, and princes like you see stinky long-haired boys who broke your heart. I've been reading A Song of Fire and Ice by George R. R. Martin, and everything bad (and good) that comes from kings and kingdoms is played out in this series. It's a great series, but it adds to the jaded feelings because of the truth of things that it illuminates. Kings do bad things. They kill babies, rape women, sack cities for no good reason, murder people, and all the time feel as if they have a right to do so.
So add all this together - I love the romantic idea of beautiful, genteel princesses, fair and just kings, chivalrous princes who love their princess unconditionally, but the reality of life is that kingdoms are a bad idea, and in a modern sense it doesn't matter if the system has changed because power still corrupts. In the Old Testament, Israel wants a king so they can be just like all the other nations, but the prophet Samuel speaks for God and says (paraphrased) "Hey, I can give you someone who will be in authority over you as a king, but he's going to take your sons and kill them in battle, make you and your kids work for him however he sees fit, take your best food and goods from you in taxes, and you will be his slaves; but if that's what you want, then ok..." (1 Samuel 8:10-18) And of course, because God shows his true, deep love for us in choosing the people who can be the most foolish (like Peter, the Israelites, David, Abram, myself...) they say that they want a king, and so the game of thrones begins and continues to this day.
I get bogged down by this stuff. It really bothers me how much bloodshed and injustice is in the Old Testament. But then, we have to remember. While the Old Testament records actual real events, truth, it is a song of sorts. It's a song showing us how very broken the world is because of the Fall, and how we can't hope to have fairy tale lives on our own because we always screw it up.
Enter Jesus.
"Repent for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand." (Matthew 4:17)
"Let the children come to me; do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God." (Mark 10:14)
“Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” (John 3:3)“My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would have been fighting, that I might not be delivered over to the Jews. But my kingdom is not from the world.” (John 18:36)
"...looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God." (Hebrews 12:2)
That changes things. Not the history of thrones and kings on this earth, nor the warning against dictators that Samuel said many years ago, but it changes the outlook. It says that yes, this authority on earth is corrupt. We live in enemy territory, and it crushes dreams of being a beautiful princess because we are locked in a tower. But, Jesus changes everything. He is the gamechanger. 
We foolish, broken humans don't get everything right, but eventually because he has saved us for His glory and for freedom (Gal 5:1, Gal 5:13, 1 Peter 2:16) and one day we will live as princes and princess just as we were always meant to live.
No comments:
Post a Comment