Kings and Kingdoms - learning about being a Christian from the Coronation of King Charles III

Photo credit - personal screen shot

The King and Queen 

THE KING IS CROWNED!

There hasn't been one  for over 70 years!…a British Coronation that is!

A ritual that has been in place since 1066, today, the 6th May 2023, King Charles III is the 40th monarch to be crowned in Westminster Abbey.

So of course the world is a-buzz about it - both for and against.

But whatever your views on the British monarchy, in the lead-up to this special day, I was thinking about some things in a Coronation for us to learn about what it means to have a King….things that we often overlook in our 'modern' world, but which have implication for every Christian, and implications for how we understand the gospel, and implications for how we make disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ who is the King of Kings.

1. A King means there is a Kingdom

This might seem obvious. But something that I am hearing and seeing as different in this Coronation from previous Coronations is that although there is a King, 2023 features a world as a whole who wants their governing systems to be more 'democracy' than 'monarchy'….and maybe that is because monarchy, rather than democracy, more closely resembles theocracy. We live in a world that not only is more and more rejecting God, but it also says it has an aversion to hierarchy (which I don't fully understand since the workplace still functions on a hierarchical system and the hope of getting 'promotions', and no-one seems to be bothered by that). So since a King means a Kingdom, it also means a hierarchy. It means someone 'rules' over me or has authority over me and I don't necessarily have a 'say' unless the King asks for my input.

And this is where the UK (and thus places like Australia and New Zealand and Canada etc) have constitutional monarchies which form a unique blend of democracy under monarchy, where the King is meant to be making a choice to 'govern' by having the people's input via Parliament….although now-days the system has become more symbolic than anything else.

But the picture is still there, that a King means a Kingdom - where the highest ruler is the monarch.

2. A King and a Kingdom means loyalty

In the lead-up to the Coronation a topic that came up a few times in what I listened to, was the issue of loyalty. 

A Coronation is about loyalty - establishing and declaring loyalty of the King to God and his people and the people to their King. First loyalty is to God Himself by the King, but then the 'peers' on behalf of the people 'respond' with their own pledge of loyalty. Thus all the Lords and Ladies would be invited to attend (my ancestor included) in all their colourful robes and coronets showing by their presence to the watching world, that the King is not on his own as a sole entity of power, but has his body of loyal social leaders who will carry out his will and support and 'rule' with him as a kind of extension of himself. They are 'with him' to do 'his will' for the good of his kingdom.

3. A King and a Kingdom means allegiance

Another talking point in the lead-up to the Coronation has been the oaths of allegiance.

This is where not only the King pledges to the people, but the people pledge allegiance to the King. 

The King's oath is maybe the most solemn part of the ceremony, and is a pledge (in summary) to be loyal to God, the people and the church - in that order:

The first statement of allegiance is from the King to the people. What the people say is only after that…and in response to what the King already pledges.

The People say:

I swear that I will pay true allegiance to Your Majesty and to your heirs and successors according to law, so help me God.

This Coronation is slightly different as the numbers attending are fewer so not all the Lords and Ladies will be present as in previous Coronations (only about 80 out of over 1000 total), so they don't do any full pledge of allegiance on behalf of 'all their subjects' known as the 'Homage of the Peers'. Not sure if this is the reason or not, but this time in the age of internet technology and real-time viewing, the Archbishop invited everyone in the UK and Realms and Territories (the wider Kingdom) to join in and be included in the pledge themselves.

It was given as an 'invitation', but some felt it was coercion. Some of the younger  generations said they feel it's like a 'dictatorship'. For a generation who has been filled with notions of 'no-one can tell me what to do', for sure it feels incompatible with what they have been led to believe in recent decades.  Some  feel you can't pledge allegiance to someone who is not popular or done anything to deserve respect. Some feel it is 'unusual' for individuals to swear allegiance - although it is what every Member of the British Parliament has already done  However, no-one seems to feel it unusual that Americans are all expected to swear allegiance to their flag. What I think is unusual is that people don't seem to question an oath of allegiance to an inanimate flag in the USA, but feel uncomfortable with allegiance to a person in the UK. I wonder if this problem is because in our 'modern' world people like to feel like they have a say in their own destiny (via representatives and President that they participating in electing), and don't like to think of a situation where they might be bound to the will of someone else.

4. A King and a Kingdom means service and servanthood

Primarily the oaths of allegiance mean a pledge of service to God and others. The people to their King and the the King to his people.

The Oath which the King takes is essentially a pledge not of prideful self-honour, but of humble submission to God and position of being a servant to the people.

It's only after his oath that he is anointed as King and given the orb and sceptre (symbols of God's entrusted power and justice among other symbols) to rule his people, because his power is not for his own greater glory but in order to serve the people, under God.

Phrases are used in describing the symbols such as representing being an 'advocate for those in need', and 'not of might but of mercy' and  'glorious in virtue', and  'authority with gentleness and grace, trusting not in yourself but in God'. All of these are persistent reminders that his rule is meant to be focused not on himself but on God and the good of others.

It is emphasised by the ceremony that this is a humble role, under God and for others….of course this was profoundly displayed when the king has his robes all taken off him and he stands just in his untucked shirt and trousers, and is then anointed with oil, and then kneels still only in his shirt and trousers before God.

The Coronation is primarily a Christian ceremony in which it is believed and thus acknowledged that the King has been appointed by God and thus anointed as a servant of God and in place to serve his people faithfully. 

5. A King and a Kingdom means honour

Thousands of people lined the streets of London to get a glimpse of the King and the accompanying processions on Coronation Day. Millions more watched on-line. And if it is anything like Queen Elizabeth II's funeral, people will have felt 'honoured' to participate just by 'being there'. 

Those who attended inside the Abby will have felt an especially high honour which they will remember forever and will tell their descendants for the rest of their lives. 

The King himself understands the greatness of the honour he now has and the weight of massive repsonsibility that comes with it. He has had more than 70 years in training and constant re-inforcing of what this day for him means.

6. A King and a Kingdom reflect a Greater King and an Eternal Kingdom

As much as we might 'like' the idea of democracy as a form of government, it does not reflect how God functions with His people and it does not help us very much to comprehend and thus live in the light of the meaning of being part of a Kingdom.

However, there is much we can learn as we look at earthly Kings and Kingdoms, about how, as Christians, we are meant to function in relation to God as our King. 

1. In God's family, we are in a Kingdom. If we don't recognise that, we fail to understand the terms and nature of salvation in Christ. God does not function in terms of a democracy, but His governing is a theocracy - He is King and His word and will is to direct all our conduct. There is hierarchy and He is supreme in authority and we are to submit to Him in obedience, and honour Him in all things. 

2. God's Kingdom is all about loyalty - which is another word for faithfulness. As Christians, we are called to faithfulness to God. It is on the basis of 'faithfulness' to His will and purposes that we will enter into Eternity with Him and when He will say 'well done good and faithful servant'. We are called to loyalty to Him to the exclusion of all others. There is no dual-citizenship in God's Kingdom - its all loyalty to Him.

3. God's kingdom is about allegiance - this is another way of saying 'loyalty'. We honour God in such a way that His will is what is meant to determine our choices. We 'submerge' our will into His. What He directs, we do. We are not to 'second-guess' His commands or think we can 'opt-out' of what we don't like. 

4. God's kingdom means service and servanthood. The world unfortunately often think that a King is an oppressor, a superior who is only interested in his own wealth and success. How wrong they are!  And if they only opened their eyes and ears a little more, they might catch a marred glimpse of 'servant-king' contexts by honestly looking at the late Queen Elizabeth II and the now King Charles III. They might have great wealth (which also brings great responsibility and expenses), but they could lock it up with no-one able to ever see or enjoy it…yet the public can go to the Tower of London and see the Crown Jewells, they can book a tour of a palace, they are invited to Buckingham Palace garden parties, they set up programs for the betterment of the people (such as the Prince's Trust and the Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme). They don't ever get to 'retire' and go live their 'own life'. Their birth is not all about undeserved privilege, but is also about unnegotiable lifelong unrelenting responsibilities toward others, whether they like it or not. Unlike the rest of the population who are 'free to choose' their life course, the royal family has no such 'choice'. Their 'privilege' is a self-sacrificing covenant commitment. 

God as our King is not an uncompassionate oppressor. He is the most kind-hearted, self-sacrificing One, who has given His covenant commitment to those who are His. When Jesus came into the world, He said that to see Him was to see the Father (John 14:9). He also said that He did not come to be served but to serve (Matthew 20:28). As Christians we serve the One who serves us. That is also why a Christian marriage is all about a wife who serves her husband who serves her. Yes, he is her 'head', as Christ is the head of the church, but it is a loving self-sacrificing servant-leadership. We should not be surprised that a world outside of Christ finds such concepts hard to comprehend. But it is the profound gift we have as Christians.

He is our King who does not selfishly hold his honour to himself, but humbly comes to serve and bless, and willingly welcomes us to Himself for us to share in His glory as co-heirs of life.

Out of loyal allegiance to Him, we serve as the extension of His hand in the world - an earth over which we are meant to 'rule' and have 'dominion', under the higher authority of the King of all the earth. We are His body, the shiners of His light of love, compassion, grace and truth to the world, as we entreat and win others to become part of His kingdom. We are ambassadors of His kingdom, careful to live according to what pleases Him and brings honour and praise the the King of the Kingdom. 

5. Ultimately a King and His Kingdom is about honour. This is an honour not primarily about popularity, but position. Not first about what he 'does' but who he 'is'. Our modern Western world has pre-occupied itself with an 'achieved' and 'doing' kind of honour. We feel we are exempt from having to respect someone if they haven't 'earnt' our respect by 'doing' sufficiently honourable acts of conduct. However, God in His holy perfection, always does according to who He is. Thus He is perfect in what He does because He is perfect in who He is. There is record of His faithful deeds, to confirm His faithful character, but primarily we give him 'ascribed' honour with our trust and loyalty, firstly because of His position - who He is - even in a situation where we do not yet know exactly what He will do.

We willingly and eagerly pledge our full committed allegiance to Him because He made the first commitment - to the world and the people He made and saved. We love because He first loved us even when we were unlovely. Our eternal confidence rests in His complete and unwavering faithfulness, even when we are unfaithful. Our honour rests on His.

As we watched a great and momentous event in history in this Coronation of King Charles III, the 40th British monarch to be crowned in Westminster Abbey, let us turn the eyes of our hearts to our King of Kings, the Lord Jesus Christ whose Kingship we pledge loyalty and allegiance to for all eternity, not for the protection of our body and well-being on this earth, but for the safety of our souls. As loyal subjects of His Kingdom, let our hearts rise in honour to His name and let us shine out His glory to the world and bring others to His eternal glorious kingdom.