The Exiled King - Isaiah 62

Once upon a time, there was a great King, who was just and fair and humble. The motto of his Kingdom was: LOVE AND JUSTICE FOR ALL. He taught his people how to live well. The King helped his people to love each other and to help each other. He taught them that everyone is connected, that one person’s success is a victory for all of us, and that another person’s suffering is a wound in all our hearts. He taught people to live with kindness and mercy – helping the weak, befriending the lonely, hugging the children, celebrating with joy, and encouraging the good in all to flourish and grow. His Kingdom grew, and his people prospered.

However, as is often the case, some powerful people wanted more power. They didn’t like this love and justice philosophy. They believed in the survival of the fittest. They believed that everyone gets what they deserve. The strong should get stronger, and the weak … Well, who cares about them anyway.

This group of power-hunger Powerfuls led a coup d’etat. In a quiet revolt, they sent the King into exile and imposed a new government. Their motto was: FREEDOM AND HAPPINESS FOR ALL. They filled the streets with their propaganda: “Let us throw off those ancient social norms. Let us rid ourselves of the shackles of concern for others. Live free. Pursue happiness above all else. If you want it, do it. If you like it, buy it. If you can’t afford it, work for it and work some more. Anyone can have anything they want if they only work hard enough or smart enough.

Most people gladly accepted this new government and their message about life. It is not easy always being concerned about others. Often that means putting aside what we want – at least for a while. This new way of life was much easier. It was such a relief simply to be concerned about yourself. There was a time of celebrating and revelry in the streets. Wine and women moved freely.

But carnival cannot last forever – especially not a carnival set on the philosophy of survival of the fittest. Some people are simply not as strong. They are pushed out of the way with reckless disregard for where they land. Some people want to hold on to the bottle instead of passing it around. Some people want to collect all the bottles for themselves. A powerful fist or a thieving hand is glad to get the bottles moving again.

After the carnival fades, life continues with the same philosophy under more civilized circumstances. Carefree abandon in the streets transitions to legalized divorce in the courtrooms with alimony and child support payments. Fist fights transition to office manipulation with gossip and crafty maneuvers. Wild drunken revelry transitions to a trip to travel agent who can help us escape all our troubles for a weekend on the beach. Brute force transitions to the all-out pursuit of knowledge. Education = power = wealth = happiness. Everything is more civilized, but it is still the lawless party in the streets.

On the national scale, the Powerfuls begin diverting the government’s resources to benefit the businesses of the Powerfuls. The government seems to have two primary jobs: to make the rich richer and to keep everyone else under control. Oil and gas and mining become the industries of choice. Social programs, assistance to the needy, and common infrastructure are pushed lower and lower on the priority list.

The glossy image of the government’s propaganda begins to fade and crack. FREEDOM AND HAPPINESS FOR ALL has really become “freedom for some and happiness just out of reach for everyone.”


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