Crowns
“Uneasy lies the head that wears a crown.”
- Shakespeare from “Henry IV”
“The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children. Now if we are children, then we are heirs--heirs of God and joint-heirs with Christ…”
- Paul to the church in Rome
One of our adult children pointed out the Netflix series called The Crown. It is focused on the 25-year old newlywed Elizabeth II, who is facing the daunting prospect of leading the world’s oldest monarchy and negotiating a relationship with the challenging and intimidating Sir Winston Churchill.
Her slightly more than passing interest in the affairs of her father as a child landed her on the throne at the time of his passing. She is young, untrained, and inexperienced. She is also uneducated and knows next to nothing about the affairs of her royal lineage. She is facing a position that her birthright privileges her to, but with very little of the necessary experience or training required.
The crown is, indeed, heavy upon her head and altogether overwhelming. There is some clever irony in one of the scenes where the royal photographer is having difficulty even balancing the crown on her head whose weight is almost too much for her to physically support.
Over a 10-part series, however, you get to see the woman rise to the occasion. To gracefully find her own way to uniquely and powerfully fill the weight and responsibility of that crown.
“I am aware that I am surrounded by people who feel that they could do the job better. Strong people with powerful characters. But for better or for worse, the crown has landed on my head.”
- Elizabeth II (from “The Crown”)
One of the Youtube videos that went viral after the presidential election was of Ernie Johnson, NBA commentator, eloquently stating on the NBA Today telecast:
- "I couldn’t bring myself to vote for either."
- "I am hopeful and encouraged that there will be a difference between the president and the candidate."
- "It is more important that I determine my role to play in making the world a better place."
- "I don’t know from one election to another who is going to be in office, but I always know who is on the throne."
The weight of the eternal crown should supersede the office and every other mandate or motive prescribed to it.
There is first a King and a Kingdom.
And you and I are co-heirs.
May the weight and privilege of those crowns call us all to greater nobility, stewardship, and generative governance of the giftings, people, and resources that define and occupy the realm we have been given to serve. May no one regret that the crown has landed on our heads.
- Do you feel both the privilege and responsibility of your crown?
- How are you doing at managing the tension of those two things?
- Do you think others lament or celebrate you in the leadership roles you occupy?