No King
Photo by Markus Spiske on Unsplash
Recently I was chatting to someone who moved to the UK for work. They had been able to use their country’s driving licence for a year, but after that had to take a UK test.
We discussed similarities and differences in driving here and their home nation. One thing we had in common was both countries have highway rules! These are vital for safety and order on the road.
I have seen videos of other countries where there seems to be no highway code, and the streets are a dangerous place to be. The traffic, and sometimes random animals, come from all directions and it’s all very chaotic.
I am grateful for the rules regarding driving, as not only does it bring order but makes it safe for all users.
Structure, laws and values come in all shapes and varieties in our country. Many of them have been around for years and are the foundation on which our society has been built and lives.
However, in recent years, there are some areas that have been questioned. Things that many generations accepted as normal have been challenged. This is not necessarily a bad thing, as each new generation generally challenges the one before it!
But I have noticed that by questioning, or in some instances rejecting, some long standing ways / values, have left some in a more insecure place. In other words, it’s like if the foundations of a building are removed then the whole building is in danger of collapsing.
There does seem to be a rise in anxiety these days, particularly amongst young people. Some would suggest that this may be caused by some of the questioning and rejecting of certain things?
In the Bible, the book of Judges concludes with this stark sentence…
“In those days Israel had no king; everyone did as they saw fit.”
Judges is a historical record of how Israel lived without God. They constantly got into trouble and God graciously sent various women and men to help and rescue them, called Judges.
By the end of the book, things were not good at all. There was no king and no order, so it was lawless – the wild west of the Bible?
Imagine, if everyone did what they ‘saw fit’, or what they thought was right, then life would be chaos, and most likely dangerous. I believe society needs values, structure and laws.
The Bible states there is a King and His name is Jesus. He reigns in His Kingdom, which can be experienced now and, in the future, by believing in and following Jesus.
In my personal experience, and in over twenty years of church leadership, I have seen this as a good thing. If you want to know what this King and His Kingdom is like, you can find out in the Bible or contact me!
God bless you :)
Gary Bastin - Hope Community Church leader