January 23, 2017
If your office was “open” last Friday, it’s likely that the productivity meter was barely registering. For hundreds of thousands of people, they were “live” in Washington; for others, they were there – virtually – on a variety of digital devices. Others were loading their protest magazines with antagonist ammunition, getting geared-up to march in opposition on Saturday. America called a Time Out last Friday for the quadrennial extravaganza embedded in our democracy: it was the Inauguration.
Most of the founders of America had British tradition in their cultural DNA, and – for them – the pomp and circumstance attending the occasional Coronations influenced their thinking. Rather than elevating a monarch, they formed a new kind of government whose leadership would derive power, not from a blood line, but from their constituency. They would elect their presidents to a position of service – not for life or until violently deposed, but for a four-year term. Reelection was possible, but not assured; performance would be key to maintaining the support of the growing American populace.
The last coronation in England was June 2, 1953. That day, Elizabeth II was installed as the new monarch in Westminster Abbey, and the event was the first major international event to be broadcast across the world on television, recorded in color for posterity.
Done every four years, Inaugurations are big deals in the United States; last done 65 years ago, Coronations can rise to even greater heights in Great Britain. Life stops while the new Sovereign assumes the position placing them over all others.
Those spectacles are great theater – and worthy of attention, for sure – but they don’t hold a candle to an event for which I have already secured an insider ticket.
Thousands of people lined the road into the capital city for the parade that presented the King to the people, before his coronation was consummated. Everything seemed to be on-track – and his advance men had done everything they knew to do, in preparation for the ceremony. But conspirators whose power would be retired upon his ascension to the throne were able to foment a backlash that would lead to the arrest and execution of the King before he could claim what was rightfully his.
His supporters lamented the end of their dream, but a plot twist of eternal significance reset their hopes as he revealed his plan: Resurrection over insurrection. The conspiracy would claim victory, but the loyals would recruit support from around the world to join the campaign to recognize the royalty of King Jesus, and the ceremony recognizing his supremacy would finally take place, and it would be broadcast internationally, in 3D: everyone alive would be first-hand observers.
John the Baptist had the role of emcee – “Master of Ceremonies” – to introduce Jesus when he came the first time. He’ll need no introduction the next time: when he appears, you’ll know who he is, without any need for someone to verbalize his vita.
Today – leading up to his return and coronation – he has invited us to act as ambassadors, making his credentials for the top-job known to people who still have time to cast their vote and be included in his Kingdom.
Shadrach Meshach Lockridge is now with the King; before leaving to join him, off-shore, in 2000, he was the longtime pastor of Calvary Baptist Church in San Diego. In my book, he says more in four minutes than most people could handle in an hour.
Give yourself to the gift of seeing/hearing Dr. S.M. Lockridge with his powerful proclamation: click on That’s My King! If that doesn’t light you up, your wood must be wet!
Still praying “Thy Kingdom come,”
Bob Shank
Thank you for the reminder of the marvelous speech by Dr. S. M. Lockridge.