Kings and Queens

I wanted to share a song with you this week before Easter.  From the very first time I heard it, it struck a chord with me.  It won’t take you long to figure out why:

Kings and Queens

Little hands, shoeless feet

Lonely eyes looking back at me

Will we leave behind the innocent to grieve

On their own, on the run

When their lives have only begun

These could be our daughters and our sons

And just like a drum I can hear their hearts beating

I know my God won't let them be defeated

Every child has a dream to belong and be loved

Boys become kings, girls will be queens

Wrapped in Your majesty

When we love, when we love the least of these

Then they will be brave and free

Shout Your name in victory

When we love, when we love the least of these

When we love the least of these

Break our hearts once again

Help us to remember when

We were only children hoping for a friend

Won't you look around

These are the lives that the world has forgotten

Waiting for doors of our hearts and our homes to open

If not us, who will be like Jesus

To the least of these

If not us tell me who will be like Jesus

Like Jesus to the least of these

Boys become kings, girls will be queens

Wrapped in your majesty

When we love, when we love the least of these

Then they will be brave and free shout your name in victory

We will love we will love the least of these

We will love the least of these 

Elijah looking very regal on his 6 month birthday!

While the song’s words (and the beautiful video) are most definitely addressing orphans, I want to broaden our idea of the “least of these”.  And before you roll your eyes about me pulling out another soapbox, I’ll go ahead and agree with you that I am a broken record concerning the needy.  But then again, so was Jesus (BOOYAH!).  Okay let’s soldier on...  

The least of these.  Most often we think of the images spoken about in this song.  Shoeless feet, forgotten lives.  But I would say, the external packaging doesn’t matter.  You could be living in the fanciest house in town -or- slumming it in a cardboard box in an alley.  Either way- if you have an empty heart, you are the least of these.

And we’ve all had moments that we’ve felt completely alone.  Forgotten.  Insignificant.  These are the “lows” that Jesus longs to speak meaning into.  He came “to preach good news to the poor, heal the heartbroken, announce freedom to all captives, pardon all prisoners” (Isaiah 61:1).  He is in the business of restoration.  Bringing all of our nothings into something.  Giving our story, our life, a purpose.

Jesus offers this miraculous gift, the best trade-in of all time.  His sacrifice for our screw ups.  We don’t have to live with our past mistakes dragging us down.  That is why I love Easter, it is all about being made new.  The new life and hope we can have because of Jesus overcoming the ugliness of this world.  But what should we do with this new lease on life?  Well, have you ever considered getting into the family business?  Restoration.

Merriam-Webster defines restoration as “a bringing back to a former position or condition: reinstatement.”  We were created with heaven in our hearts;  it is our duty to show others that we are sons and daughters of the King.  Sometimes the simplest gesture is all someone needs to remind them of their value.   A meal for a family in hard times.  Clean drinking water for those struggling to survive.  A hug for a bitter family member.  We are called to treat everyone with decency, to restore dignity to the downtrodden wherever they happen to reside.  A raising back to life, so to speak.

By treating others with the love of Christ, we are “wrapping them in the majesty” God intends for them.  Every wretched heart has the right to be made holy and WE can provide the opportunity for that transformation.  What a privilege: helping the least of these recognize their place at the table as  brothers and sisters, all because Jesus paid our way.  “....Yes, by God’s grace, Jesus tasted death for everyone.  God, for whom and through whom everything was made, chose to bring many children to glory.  And it was only right that he should make Jesus, through his suffering, a perfect leader, fit to bring them into their salvation.  So now Jesus and the ones he makes holy have the same Father.  That is why Jesus is not ashamed to call them his brothers and sisters.” -Hebrews 2:9b-11