Jubilee (We are all nobility)

I looked into the eyes of one of our regular homeless guys yesterday as he came in for his soup.

We were standing under a string of British flags, you know, the really cheap ones everyone's buying for their jubilee parties. Well someone's (mentioning no names, Dawn) has hung up in our prayer centre to help us all feel all jubileeish!

I was talking to this guy, he was showing obvious signs of panic. He had missed his social security appointment for the second time in a month which meant he wouldn't get his money. He was sweating profusely and shaking because of lack of alcohol, he was pale and had a pained look about him. He was Desperate and looked a hopeless sight.

I calmed him down, we went and sat on a sofa and I got him a six-sugared cup tea, and we began to work out what we could do about his dilemma.

As I looked into his eyes, I could still see the jubilee paraphernalia hanging in the background.

It didn't feel much like a day of jubilee.

Not at all.

My mind switched like lightening to a different kind of jubilee.

It switched to an image in my mind of Jesus.

The king of kings.

Not exactly a diamond studded, gold adorned kind of king, lying down in a lavish palace being fed massive juicy grapes.

O no!

But a king who died a brutal death on a cross so that we could live full lives forever in his glorious courts and be part of his family forever.

Then a realisation, or maybe a revelation, or something anyway, flashed full pelt into my head and radiated immediately to my heart.

If we are part of this kings family?

That makes me nobility.

It makes my homeless friend nobility too.

So this homeless guy really doesn't relate to the jubilee that we will all celebrate this weekend in honour of Queen Elizabeth.

Not at all.

He doesn't really care much.

Alcoholism and utter social isolation takes care of that.

But if I can get him to see that he is actually nobility?

He is a child of the king? That he is a welcome addition to the kingdom? Headed up by the king of all kings?

He will have a chance of survival.

I desperately pray he will one day see that as we fight for his very life.

How are you feeling right now today?

Do you feel like royalty?

Do you see yourself as nobility?

Children of the king of kings?

Maybe it's time in your life journey for a different kind of jubilee.

The true day of jubilee!

Seeing ourselves and others as nobility opens up a new perspective. It opens up unending opportunities for our own lives to develop and indeed changes everything in terms of how we look at others.

No longer would we pick and choose who comes into our churches. No longer would we have an us and them situation. No longer would we have limited salvation (especially when God warns us that His salvation
is for everyone: Isaiah 56). If we are able to see everyone as fellow nobles, brothers and sisters? Maybe we would fight even harder for them.

We would just see things differently and maybe it could make all the difference.

Have a great time celebrating the jubilee this weekend if you are into royalty! Enjoy your street party, your barbecue or your lazy day watching queenie type things on the TV. Of course we honour our monarch.

But maybe let it remind of you of a different kind of jubilee. One that we can be part of every day of our lives.

The kingdom of God.

The true day of jubilee.