In the Motherland on Independence Day!
I have been thinking about some really sweet memories this week. As we moved towards remembering the birth of our nation and her independence on the 4h of July, I savored a handful of times that I was in England on the 4th of July. Our friend Lorna Stanley came to America and Knoxville to share with us in a student ministry internship. She is from Wallington England, just south of London. During her time with us, the idea sparked inside of her for us to consider taking a group of American students to Wallington to teach about Jesus in the school system there. That spark and idea led to what we have called the LINK, "London Is Near Knoxville". It has been an incredible, life changing experience that still bubbles in my heart to this day. On several of our LINK trips, we were actually in the motherland of England on our American Independence Day. Kind of a mysterious thing to be Americans visiting in England on the day that our country celebrates establishing freedom from the Motherland. Of many of the special memories from the LINK was a specific time that our friends from Wallington threw our LINK team a 4th of July party while we were in England. As I think about that party and those people and that occasion, I am primarily, among many feelings, humbled. They loved and honored the people who sought independence from them. That has marked me for the last 10 plus years. We shoot off tons of fireworks to celebrate our independence here in America. Perhaps our English friends shoot off fireworks too celebrating that we left.
In the past week of pondering Independence Day and considering the climate of countries, leaders, government and politics, my heart was prompted to celebrate Christmas in July. I was drawn to the bible book of Isaiah, chapter 9 and verse 6. For unto us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. This verse, usually read during the season of Advent, is a prophetic telling of the birth of Jesus. So Merry Christmas again here in the middle of the hot, summer months.
The political climate of the world is chaotic. What are our world leaders thinking? They have got to get this thing together!
It is inappropriate, but very common for us to unthinkingly assign sovereign power to world leaders, expecting them to do what only God is able to do. This is foolish on my part, but I do it. The British Prime Minister, President Moon, Kim Jung Un, or President Trump...No mere woman or man is able to carry the weight of sovereign reigning. Only Jesus Christ, foretold in that declaration from Isaiah. He alone reigns sovereign and supreme. Not our country leaders. I need to pray for my President but I must not fool myself into thinking that the government is on his or her shoulders.
It's on Jesus' shoulders. Sigh. Thank God. Let that sink in. Yes. God raises up specific men and women to lead and tend and govern and even at times issue judgment, but there is only one King whom the government really rests on. King Jesus. This thought can be a mere trite phrase of "yeah, yeah, the government is on Jesus' shoulders". Or it can be a deeply received gift of the ultimate rule of Jesus as the King. I say let's opt for the latter as I troll the climate of government and politics worldwide.
The very next verse in Isaiah, chapter 9 says this. "Of the increase of his government and peace....THERE WILL BE NO END." Wow. That rings so hopeful. I want His reign. Come Lord Jesus.
I am so impacted by the humility of my British friends as they threw us a party in honor of our independence from their own country. I am stirred by the humility of Jesus' governing. He loves while He leads. He loves me while He leads my stubborn, idolatrous, ungrateful heart. That is no small thing.
Happy Dependence Day!
There's more.