Shirker

Ephesians 5:23 ESV

“For the husband is the head of the wife even as Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself its Savior.”

C.S. Lewis has written many books but there is one that continues to call to me. It regularly tantalizes me, and calls to memory the depth of truth that presses me to read it again. Maybe you have a book like that. One that you are aware is not included among the “best” of that author’s works, but still for some reason it calls to you and you must read it again such is The Horse and His Boy. The portion that has brought this yearning once again to my mind is the final moments of the book when the Heir to the throne realizes he will not be king, another has been found who must inherit, and he bursts forth in jubilant voice “Hurrah! Hurrah!... I shan’t have to be king.”

A contemporary Author of Lewis was the Catholic professor J.R.R. Tolkien. In his epic Trilogy he introduces us to Elrond. Not to swing too much into fantasy but this person is one of the greatest elves in the land who through wisdom and skill has been given one of the three Elvish rings of power and rules over elves to their blessing and flourishing. In this work of fiction Tolkien creates in Elves a people who can not die from age. They can be killed but short of murder they simply continue to age with no diminishing of physical or mental abilities, but only continued growth, they are “immortal” for the most part. I come to this because in Elrond has a twin brother, Elros. They were half-elves and half-men. Due to their prowess and exploits in they were given a choice to choose to be fully men or fully elves. Elros chose to become man, aging and dying as mortal man, rather than being immortal with his brother, why? Their father was a King of men and as such the eldest son was heir to the kingdom of men. It was his duty, the prince could do as he wished, but the heir choose his duty to the men he would rule.

In 1936 a man chose to follow his heart. King Edward the VIII abdicated his responsibility to his people to marry the twice divorce American, Wallis Simpson. At the precipice of the century, with Nazi Germany gaining momentum, and War looming on the horizon, a man chose to shirk his responsibility and thrust it on his younger brother. King George VI would guide the United Kingdom through the harrowing events of World War II and shortly after. King George would die early at the age of 56. His wife would always blame her brother-in-law Edward, now Duke of Windsor, for her husband’s early death because of the stress of being King. Edward would out live his younger brother by twenty years.

To stretch from the King of England to the King of the Box office, once again Spider-Man has broken records. His alter ego, Peter Parker, has multiple trilogies all of which have topped the box office and he appears to be bank able to almost any generation. I bring up this work of American fiction because of the great struggle that this character wrestles. Yes, it would be fun to swing around and concern yourself only with your own wants and desires, but “with great power comes great responsibility.” This presses and pushes him into many things he does not wish for or desire, but he was given great power and even when he may wish to walk away he cannot. Should such a person apologize for being stronger and more agile than others? Does the position he finds himself in require him to pretend he is not stronger and given more than others? He resolutely says no and persists in trying to use all of his many and ample gifts to serve.

Coming to this verse of headship, it must be noted that the bible does not base the rule of men on their strength or on their intellect, but on their position as created first (1 Timothy 2:13). The headship of men is also seen in the curse of Genesis 3, God speaks to the woman the least of the three persons present. By word Count he Judged the man most culpable, the snake second, and the woman third. Because the man was given rule/dominion and “with great power comes great responsibility.” A man’s duty can not be escaped. Two men of the Victorian age, and one of the “Greatest generation” speak in their writing that one’s duty is above one’s pleasure. God speaks that he has gifted everyone both with abilities and with position. We are not to apologize for, abdicate, or usurp them from others. They are, and they are to be rejoiced in and used to their fullest for God’s glory, and our good, not our pleasure or amusement.

The Call of Duty is not a game to be played but a service to be done. Men are called and women are called, youths and elders, rich and poor, black and white, high IQs and incorrigibles. In God’s providence he has given you what you have and when you have it. Let us not abdicate and join the cowards, but walk in the particular hand we have been dealt, because “every hands a winner.”

This is the day that the Lord has made,

we will rejoice and be glad in it.  Psalm 118:24

Coram Deo

“And that’s truer than thy brother knows, Cor, ” said King Lune.  “For this is what it means to be a king: to be first in every desperate attack and last in every desperate retreat, and when there’s hunger in the land (as must be now and then in bad years) to wear finer clothes and laugh louder over a scantier meal than any man in your land.” – C.S. Lewis, The Horse and His Boy