Of Crowns and Confederate Flags...

I'm sure it is little surprise to anyone who knows me or who has kept up with this blog at all that I'm behind this week. Not just a little behind, but seriously behind.  It's been VBS week, which would be enough on its own, but that has only been part of the busy-ness here this week. Because of that, I haven't kept up well with the news, and missed much of the initial uproar over the Confederate flag issue. 

However, earlier this week, my Facebook newsfeed began to EXPLODE with news that the local school board had decided that a local high school would have to change its mascot (Johnny Reb) and fight song ("Dixie"). Then I began to see other news about the increasingly heated debate over the Confederate flag.

I actually have lots of thoughts about the whole thing, the initial and strongest being that the whole thing is ridiculous. Had I gotten to write this article earlier in the day as I'd originally planned, you would have heard lots more of my thoughts on the whole gamut of the War Between the States, states' rights, revisionist history, and more. Fortunately (at least for most of you *grin*), my long empty day at home ended up being yet another "run like a banshee most of the day" day, all done while dealing with pain of about a 7 on the 1-10 pain scale. I'm far too exhausted and for too foggy to go into all my opinions of the craziness.

Suffice it to say that other than the aforementioned ridiculousness, the Stars and Stripes in the photo above stand for the right to own, display, and/or support the Rebel flag. I don't own one. I'm not even fond of it. I have no personal attachment to it. But I found myself getting a bit hot under the collar about the actions of our local school board about the whole thing. 

One of the things I love most about the fact that I've recently begun playing the piano for our little church is the fact that I get to meditate on Sunday's hymns all week (or most of it, anyway :)) as I practice for Sunday. And I'm always amazed at the ways God uses that to meet needs in my life, especially by encouraging my heart along the way. 

This week, though, He hit me right between the eyes (or more accurately, right in the heart) with conviction. I was playing the hauntingly beautiful "What Wondrous Love is This" and singing along, when I hit those words, "Christ laid aside His crown," and stopped dead in my tracks. 

Christ laid aside His crown for my soul!  He had a right to that crown. He willingly laid it down, for me, a sinner with no worth at all, other than what He gave me. 

Yes, I think those who choose to should have the "right" to their Confederate flag memorabilia. I think our local schools should have the "right" to keep their mascot if they choose. But this is NOT an issue with a command of God or something He has declared sin. (I want to be clear on that. I haven't written on the Supreme Court's ruling from yesterday yet, and I don't know if I will; however, there is a HUGE difference between things Scripture is clear on...marriage and homosexuality...and things that are "rights" and preferences.)

However, in this instance, God convicted me personally that I needed to lay down my "right" to get hot under the collar about the Confederate flag issue and the local school mascot/fight song issue. He laid aside His crown for my soul! I can lay aside my "righteous indignation" on this divisive issue that is a huge offense to some.

This week I choose to focus on two things: the lyrics of this song about His wondrous love, and the fact that our God {still} reigns. Because of that, to God and to the Lamb, I will sing!

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