There's so much symbolism to crowns that we miss these days--or, rather, that we refuse to acknowledge, I think. We have this idea that crowns symbolize oppression, something beaten into our heads by modern politics. We're told that the crown is just a fancy hat worn by some "regular guy" who everyone pretends is a god, because humans like to grab power and hurt people. And no doubt, kings of the past have oppressed and hurt many people: they are men, after all. But I don't think most of us today, especially those spinning the narrative, realize that the idea of a king was never truly that of a man above everyone else. Yes, yes "divine rule" and all that...but almost everyone in the "olden days" knew that their king was just a man. He was a man with greater responsibility, perhaps even ordained by God, but still a man. Some kings forgot this...and they often paid for it.
And for all our hand-wringing about the "terrible" past, things were far more balanced then, I think. A feudal king had power, but he also had oaths to fulfill. He had to provide protection and justice, because if he didn't--well, you wouldn't want to be him when the peasants he relies on as soldiers decide they don't care for him anymore! These days, we've replaced crowns with suits, and rather than having a government that relies on us for its existence, just as we rely on it for protection, we have leaders whose wealth, capital, and manipulative influence have ensured that they essentially no longer need us. I'd much rather have a king who I knew relied upon my support as much as I relied upon his power than a Congress that has no need to care for me, because they own every resource I could use to force their hand. How very strange that we're told by modern authoritarians that the kings of the past were so much worse...almost as if they're trying to distract us from rediscovering something that might be a threat to their power.
The happiest of people include children wearing birthday crowns. teen-agers being crowned at a prom, party goers wearing hats and crowns on New Years Eve, and the best of anything awarded with a trophy or crown. Crowns have become so commonplace that when am antique, richly embelished, or jeweled crown is seen in a museum or at a coronation it reclaims its true significance and we are awed in its presence.
"Yet I think we can no more remove from our hearts the idea of a crowned king than we can remove the very ideal of nobility, power, wisdom, fatherly care, and self-denial combined in one man." In thinking on your words, I can see only our beloved God-Man as perfectly combining all of those attributes. There is so much information at our fingertips today about so-called Royalty whether they be from a particular country or the Princes in our own Church. It is difficult not to see, and if I'm being honest, it is difficult to say nothing and simply forgive all of the "warts." I'm trying, but there is truth and some wisdom in the old adage, 'ignorance is bliss'. This, of course, does not hold when it comes to understanding the etymology of words! Thank goodness you understand these things because it's all Greek to most of us!
"A good king must feel the thorns more sharply than he sees the gold." O my. That'll preach. I have a good friend who is a retired Air Force 4-star. When he was blessed with that final rank, I called him. He said, "Well, I have at least two more years of serving airmen." As a Christian, he meant it...sincerely. Thanks, Dr. Esolen for keeping us focused.
There's so much symbolism to crowns that we miss these days--or, rather, that we refuse to acknowledge, I think. We have this idea that crowns symbolize oppression, something beaten into our heads by modern politics. We're told that the crown is just a fancy hat worn by some "regular guy" who everyone pretends is a god, because humans like to grab power and hurt people. And no doubt, kings of the past have oppressed and hurt many people: they are men, after all. But I don't think most of us today, especially those spinning the narrative, realize that the idea of a king was never truly that of a man above everyone else. Yes, yes "divine rule" and all that...but almost everyone in the "olden days" knew that their king was just a man. He was a man with greater responsibility, perhaps even ordained by God, but still a man. Some kings forgot this...and they often paid for it.
And for all our hand-wringing about the "terrible" past, things were far more balanced then, I think. A feudal king had power, but he also had oaths to fulfill. He had to provide protection and justice, because if he didn't--well, you wouldn't want to be him when the peasants he relies on as soldiers decide they don't care for him anymore! These days, we've replaced crowns with suits, and rather than having a government that relies on us for its existence, just as we rely on it for protection, we have leaders whose wealth, capital, and manipulative influence have ensured that they essentially no longer need us. I'd much rather have a king who I knew relied upon my support as much as I relied upon his power than a Congress that has no need to care for me, because they own every resource I could use to force their hand. How very strange that we're told by modern authoritarians that the kings of the past were so much worse...almost as if they're trying to distract us from rediscovering something that might be a threat to their power.
The happiest of people include children wearing birthday crowns. teen-agers being crowned at a prom, party goers wearing hats and crowns on New Years Eve, and the best of anything awarded with a trophy or crown. Crowns have become so commonplace that when am antique, richly embelished, or jeweled crown is seen in a museum or at a coronation it reclaims its true significance and we are awed in its presence.
"Yet I think we can no more remove from our hearts the idea of a crowned king than we can remove the very ideal of nobility, power, wisdom, fatherly care, and self-denial combined in one man." In thinking on your words, I can see only our beloved God-Man as perfectly combining all of those attributes. There is so much information at our fingertips today about so-called Royalty whether they be from a particular country or the Princes in our own Church. It is difficult not to see, and if I'm being honest, it is difficult to say nothing and simply forgive all of the "warts." I'm trying, but there is truth and some wisdom in the old adage, 'ignorance is bliss'. This, of course, does not hold when it comes to understanding the etymology of words! Thank goodness you understand these things because it's all Greek to most of us!
"A good king must feel the thorns more sharply than he sees the gold." O my. That'll preach. I have a good friend who is a retired Air Force 4-star. When he was blessed with that final rank, I called him. He said, "Well, I have at least two more years of serving airmen." As a Christian, he meant it...sincerely. Thanks, Dr. Esolen for keeping us focused.