5.5.2023 – a bit of the past

a bit of the past
suddenly appearing in
front of us again

Based on the passage, … it is going to be an incredible thing to see this happen again, just because the sheer antiquity of it is something to marvel at. It is really like a bit of the past suddenly appearing in a time machine in front of us.

From the article, How coronation of King Charles will revive some of oldest British rituals by Esther Addley.

So this feller Charles III will be crowned King of England, the Lord’s anointed one to lead the people of Great Britain.

Chosen mostly because of who his ancestors were back when Queen Anne survived all of her 5 children who survived at birth (she had 12 others who did not) so that when Queen Anne died in 1714, the Brits went looking for King and chose the the Queen’s 2nd cousin, the first of the German George’s of Hanover whose family tree led to, eventually to Charles.

And the Brits get a new King but no choice.

While over here, though it is over a year away, America is facing an election that according to most polling, will offer two choices the no one in America wants to chose from.

So there you are.

Not for me at this time to say which way works out better.

I, for myself, am fascinated by the history.

In the article I quoted from there is this great point.

When King Charles enters Westminster Abbey for the coronation ceremony on Saturday, he will be preceded, among many other items of royal bling, by a short gold rod topped with a small cross, known as St Edward’s staff. Unlike the stone of destiny, the sword of mercy or the bracelets of sincerity and wisdom – all real items of regalia that will play symbolic roles in the ceremony – the staff has no role whatsoever. It is carried in at the start of the service, set on the altar, and then carried out again at the end.

In fact, no one has any idea what St Edward’s staff is meant to represent. When Charles II, restored to the throne in 1660 after the English Civil War, ordered his goldsmiths to remake the crown jewels that had been sold or melted down by parliamentarians, the inventory of items that had been lost included a staff of Saint Edward. And so one was made to replace it – an important symbol of something, even if no one could remember what.

I feel the whole spectacle is an important symbol of something, even if no one could remember what.

I feel there used to be a lot of things here in the United States that USED TO BE important symbols.

Right now, I can’t think of one that hasn’t been cheapened, lessened or just make small in recent years.

I can remember what they used to stand for.

And I miss them.

Take something relatively recent like FDR’s four freedoms.

Freedom of speech, freedom of worship, freedom from want, and freedom from fear.

Freedom of speech is under attack and abused at the same time.

Freedom of worship seems to still be around but the religion itself has been defamed and cheapened by those who use it for things other than to further the Gospel and worship God.

Freedom from want is promised yet in the worlds “Greatest” country yet promised at terms that are near draconian and citizens go hungry.

And as freedom from fear, now that everyone has a weapon, I feel less safe than ever. How this works out as the cost of being free has me at a loss.

This weekend I will sit in front of a time machine and watch a little bit history unfold in front me and think of times past.