Casting Crowns...

Crowns and Crownings

Theology in the Trenches

by Kathleen Kjolhaug

 

“Crown Him with many crowns…the Lamb upon the throne…”  
“Casting down their golden crowns upon the glassy sea…”

Two favorite choruses sung among us since the 1800’s, choruses of adoration to the One we adore. We use the symbol of the crown for many a purpose. “A crowning touch,” is often heard referencing the final addition to whatever it is we are working on. Perhaps it’s as simple as adding a piece of jewelry to an outfit, a cherry atop the baked good, placing a final stroke upon a canvass, or the frame into which that painting is set; it all works together for the edification of something we deem as special.  

To be crowned in an area one desires to achieve in is the ultimate goal, the icing on the cake, so to speak. In the worldly sense, it transfers to winning something according to man’s rules. However, in the spiritual realm, the empires won through crowning take on an altogether different form, a paradigm shift in thinking. In today’s lingo, it is counter intuitive.

It’s a given that Jesus had his crown of thorns; we are quite aware, after all, how else would the world be able to mock? We raise our voice in seasonal chorus crying out King of Kings, Lord of Lord’s…Immanuel. From Psalms to Revelation, much is revealed about crowns. “He crowns the humble with victory” (Psalm 149:4). “The twenty-four elders fall down before Him who sits on the throne and worship Him who lives forever and ever, and cast their crowns before Him” (Revelation 4:10-11).

Just last week we all witnessed as an earthly crown was placed upon a single head, and just as quickly it was taken away. The poor fellow who righted the wrong was just doing his job and misread the print upon his card. The stage where the earthly queen of the universe was to be crowned was set, but once his mistake was revealed, the world took this shining moment to crucify the crown giver  via every news feed possible. The net result was that there was only room for one…one winner, one crown and not much mercy was had. So, the mistake was rectified, the crown handed over to its rightful owner, and the world was once again at peace.

And so it is, for a few fleeting moments, we think we’ve got this. We think we’ve earned this crown. We think we’ve won. We think it’s about us. And truth-be-told, it never was. It was never about us, or crowns of any sort because it is only through Him wearing His that we are able to reflect anything remotely glorious at all.

“Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, now and ever shall be, world without end” (Gloria Patri).  Amen.