I see that there's a royal wedding coming up. A lot of people are excited by the prospect. Some of my Facebook friends have already posted about the upcoming nuptials of the heir to the throne. It's also spurred a bit of republican discussion on internet discussion boards. I find it hard to get into the spirit, quite frankly. Now don't get me wrong. I may not be a passionate monarchist, but I'm also no republican. I think Canada's doing all right as a constitutional monarchy, and I don't think we'd be any better off as a republic. I'm not sure that President Stephen Harper would be different in any substantive way than Prime Minister Stephen Harper. Or we could go the figurehead president route that a lot of European countries use and maybe have President Preston Manning watching benevolently over us as he attends to the more ceremonial aspects of government. But would we really be any better off than we are with Her Majesty Elizabeth II and our own Governor General David Johnson? I don't think so. So I say keep the House of Windsor. I say build a castle in Windsor, Ontario for them to stay in when they visit. I'm perfectly content living in one of Her Majesty's realms. And I wish Prince William and Kate Middleton all the luck in the world. I just hope she realizes what she's getting into. This is not a life I would particularly enjoy, and there are signs of the challenges involved already. Within a few hours of their official announcement, bets were being taken on the wedding date! I don't think anybody placed a bet on what date Lynn and I would choose (although there was some speculation that I'd chicken out!) If, however, you're of the gambling persuasion (this is hypothetical, of course, because we're all good United Church people and we know what the United Church thinks of gambling – but if by some chance you are) August 13 is the current favourite at 3-1, August 6 is 4-1 and July 30 is 10-1. If you really want to take a chance any date in May is 12-1! As to where the wedding will be held: Westminster Abbey is the favourite at 6-5 and St. Paul's Cathedral trails at 15-8. Remember – 10% of any of your winnings goes to the church. That will sanctify your ill-gotten gain! They're not even married yet. Really – I feel sorry for Kate! But I am a monarchist at heart – and a passionate one at that. My passion for the monarchy, however, tends to be directed not toward the House of Windsor, but rather toward a different royal dynasty – the House of David, and toward the current (and eternal) occupant of that throne – a King named Jesus!

 

     Over the years monarchies have had their ups and downs. Kings have been despots and kings have been figureheads. Kings have been good and kings have been evil. Kings have been wise and kings have been fools. Kings have been rich and kings have had huge debts. Kings have reigned into their 90's and kings have had their heads cut off. There's not much that all kings have in common except that they have responsibilities to the people they reign over. Kings have usually come to power in order to fill a vacuum – to contain lawlessness, to establish order over a society and to offer a degree of security to those who live within their realms. Most modern day kings trace their lineage back a long time, when one of their ancestors conquered some land and built a castle and the castle became the focal point of government. Sometimes they had to get rid of the king who was already there to do that. The House of David wasn't much different. King Saul had led his people to disaster and God had turned away from him and anointed David to be king over Israel, and David conquered, and David ruled the land. Before David (and, for that matter, before Saul) things had not gone well in Israel, and after David and the collapse of the kingdom things didn't go very well either, and so we hear Jeremiah the prophet lament “Woe to the shepherds who are destroying and scattering the sheep of my pasture!” Those who lead the people of God astray have always faced dire consequences. In James 3:1, for example, we read that “not many of you should presume to be teachers, my brothers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly.” And yet, in some ways, don't all of us end up as leaders? In some way, don't all of us end up as teachers? We're role models and examples – as unnerving as that might be to any of us who honestly look at ourselves and realize that we're not worthy of that job. But we are. So if the calling to be a teacher, example, role model or leader is inevitable – regardless of whether or not James thinks we should presume to such a role – then we ourselves need a role model who shows us what true leadership is about and what an example true to God really is. In his prophecy, Jeremiah offers us a number of pointers about what makes a good leader, teacher or example for God's people.

 

     The real leader will have wisdom. The real leader will have the ability to judge between right and wrong, and the strength to choose that whcih is right. That's essential to real and faithful leadership. You don't want a leader who constantly leads you down the garden path or who's constantly swaying with the wind of public opinion. God's people need a leader who has that gift of discernment and exercises it not just to choose the right way for himself but to guide others on to that right way as well. The real leader will promote justice. There will be a society created in which all of us live in peace and equity with each other – because that's what true justice is. True justice is to be equal before God and to care for one another and to ensure that no one gets trampled underfoot by whatever stampede might happen to be passing by. The real leader will encourage righteousness. The real leader will be the one who points people to God not for his or her own glory but only for the glory of God and for the benefit of those being led. The real leader will offer safety and security. The dangers of the world are many, but the real leader is able to stand against the dangers of the world and protect those whom he leads from that danger, keeping them safe from anything that might threaten them. The real leader brings unity. The real leader seeks not to “lord it over” the people who are being led but to create one people out of many individuals. The real leader seeks to create a community out of diversity, and to make friends out of strangers and to establish one family out of the multitudes. These things are the work of the real leader. These things are the work of a real king.

 

     And who has fulfilled Jeremiah's prophecy? The prophet said, “'The days are coming,' declares the Lord, 'when I will raise up to David a righteous Branch, a King Who will reign wisely and do what is just and right in the land.'” Last week we spoke about the present, and the need to be able to look around and to see the good things rather than being overcome by the bad things. And so we should be able to do that. The world is good, because the world is God's. But that doesn't mean there isn't better yet to come. Christians have always been a people with hope for the future. Christians have always looked for the establishment of God's Kingdom, and for the coming of real justice, and real righreousness and real security and real unity. Christians have always looked for someone who would govern with real wisdom. A taste was given long ago. Jesus entered the world, and we caught a glimpse of what the Kingdom of God might be like if it were created in the world toay. The life of Jesus was the life of the Kingdom, for Jesus truly is “a righteous Branch, a King Who will reign wisely and do what is just and right in the land.” 

 

     I wish all the luck in the world and all the blessings of God to Kate Middleton and to Prince William. Theirs will be an interesting life. There's no doubt about that. As William V (as he will one day be) I wonder how he'll be remembered by history? That we don't know. But as much as I wish them both well, I don't place my hope for the future in the House of Windsor. I place my hope for the future in the House of David and in the current and eternal occupant of that throne – Jesus, King of kings and Lord of lords.