Weddings & Elections

I’m a bit of a news junkie. Well, maybe a bit more than a bit. Florence would likely say I’m a news addict. I know that some of you don’t watch the news at all because you find it depressing. Thing is, I never watched the news before I became a Christian for the simple reason that I just didn’t care. I simply preferred to be entertained and the news is not that. After I became a follower of Christ, I quickly developed more of a conscience for the world I live in. And, as a pastor, I feel it is an important part of my responsibility as someone in leadership to actually know what’s going on! I admit that a lot of the time it is slanted, sensationalized, frustrating and all the rest (to be honest I enjoy the challenge of sorting it out). But I just can’t imagine, at least not now, living in the world without being aware of what is happening locally, regionally, nationally and globally. After all, we are all related, whether we like to acknowledge it or not. I know that now.

Lately of course, two major stories completely dominate the Canadian media – the election and the royal wedding, and not necessarily in that order. It is a bit of a fanfare that they are taking place at the same time; these two completely unrelated events. Or so it seems. It wasn’t until just recently that it dawned on me; the close correlation between the two. True, they are very different in nature and they don’t look anything alike, apart from the media blitz. But they are very related. They are both about governance. I know that they keep insisting that the wedding is not a political event, but we are talking about royalty (IE. kingdom), whether the monarchy is only a figurehead or not.

It’s fascinating to peruse world history and see this as one of the most significant and common threads that runs through life from beginning to end. We certainly have a love-hate relationship when it comes to the concept. I guess it’s quite natural really. We resent being bossed around or told what to do. But we love to think we have someone watching out for us, fighting our battles and being there when we need them to hear our cause and to hopefully take it up. We like to do our own thing but then we want someone else to blame when those things don’t work out for us the way we think they should.

When I started this post, I had no idea where I was going with it. Now, as I look back over what I have just written, I have no idea where I’m going with it! How about this - most people tend to feel the same way about God. They resent the dictatorial nature of His involvement in their lives wishing instead that He would just mind His own business so they can just do as they please. But, wow, do they ever like to blame Him for everything on the planet that doesn’t go the way they think it should; from a flat tire in the driveway to the famine in Africa. It’s kind of ironic isn’t it! We have both the need for and the resentment of authority.

I’m caused to consider, that should we take the kind of responsibility for our lives to do what is right and just and good and to really follow God’s directives in good conscience, whether we would continue to resent His ‘intrusion’, or whether we would then begin to understand His good-will and to earnestly seek His personal involvement; something He is undoubtedly waiting for. And then He will be more than just a figurehead and have more than just a title. He will actually be our King and the Lord of our lives.