A Lifetime in Waiting

September 9, 2022

Two persons have been uppermost in my mind this last day. One is Prince Charles, heir to the throne of the British Commonwealth, eldest son of Queen Elizabeth, who died yesterday mid-day at the ripe old age of 96. The other is Richard Rohr, best-selling author of many books, including Falling Upward: A Spirituality for the Two Halves of Life (Jossey-Bass, 2011). According to this book the first half of our lives is devoted to accomplishing something; the second half to reflecting on what has or has not been accomplished!

Charles was the princely boy whom my brother and I watched not like a hero, but as one who would be king someday and who lived his life way out there up there somewhere waiting for the day. That's quite a while ago. And while we were apparently growing up and trying to make something of ourselves, in our mind Charles just needed to show up with his sister Anne, looking handsome and well-groomed and only needing to behave royally. Then Charles changed a bit, as we probably also did during the growing up years, Charles definitely becoming a little more interesting at least according to radio reports and newspaper and journal articles (no sidebars, no social media, in fact no computers yet in our possession)! He was fascinating, somewhat of a free thinker quite akin to many others our age with hippyish inclinations during the 1960s. Then Charles entered into marriage including some behaviors which caused much grief to his beautiful wife Diana, also his parents the Queen and the Duke, and obviously feeding eager journalists and paparazzi with many a juicy tale. The slow maturation of life then included Diana’s tragic death, allowing Charles to marry 'the other woman', quietly enduring the pain caused to his two sons and the ill-repute which has dogged him ever since, even among his own family members. Now at age 74 he is King!

How can a person with spotty personal life, spending an almost total lifetime in training, learning protocol, riding in motorcades, reading speeches written by others, step up to a position increasingly questioned not only by those who idolized his mother, but also wondering about the man who would now be king. I do not blame a people questioning the state of British monarchy, and possibly the state of a monarchy period. Is it an outdated expense for all concerned? Needless to say, the wrinkles and worry lines on Charles’ face suggest he may have already spent considerable time thinking about this.

This begs the subject many have reflected on, many have agonized about, and yes many have made a profitable profession of, including psychologists, psychiatrists, theologians, and of course historians who have provided the story line (?) for our kids in elementary and high schools in the many countries of the Commonwealth. How Should we then Live? said Francis Schaeffer a Presbyterian minister a number of years ago in his famous book of that title (Crossway, 1976), even then already noting the mainstreaming of religion blended into everyday western life. Schaeffer’s still troubling question probably is why Father Richard Rohr's books have come to my mind alongside the Prince. Rohr’s contemporary wisdom of a doing–reflecting life cycle strikes a chord seemingly for many, religious and non-religious, for persons of faith in many religions certainly including Catholics and Protestants, and interestingly with advocates and critics in both the evangelical as well as the liberal versions of Christianity.

I do not believe Rohr's wide popularity makes him a shoo-in winner for all, but I do find his perspective helpful at this particular juncture of our western history; King Charles lll ascending the throne. Rohr begins the lofty topic by firstly speaking of God. "Aagh" says my thirsty soul. As a Christian I need to hear or read somebody saying that. “You can’t weigh or measure or calculate or dole out the infinite” says Rohr. "It’s time for us to recognize a world of abundance, even among all the scarcity being lamented these days – environment, economies, warfaring." Yes, scarcity limits us to who should be doing what and why isn't it being done - the world of politics, newsworld. He goes on “Stop counting who’s worthy, who’s not worthy. It ends you in a hole, a dead end. It’s stupid.”

Rohr's provocative declarations address all of us in today’s pluralistic society, certainly not only his church the Roman Catholics, nor those within the Church of England! So even as Charles at this point, as required, claims 'the church' as his faith, I see in Richard Rohr's words a good instruct to Charles and to all citizenry. It's right there in the Bible, I came that they may have life and have it abundantly (John 10:10). The new head of the Church of England and all of us need this abundance. Rohr's reference to scarcity or abundance in trying to describe God is a good reminder about describing (evaluating?) earthly Monarchs. Whether Charles has ever done anything noble or noteworthy is less important than his state of mind at this time. Recognize that in his lifetime he may have acquired the wisdom and the perspective needed to get us all a good look at monarchy and what elements are still essential and what may need to be scrapped. 

Charles lll may now have precisely the experience and the vantage and hopefully the humility to lead the British Commonwealth as well as the Church of England into a more realistic appraisal of its participation in a new world order. "How should we now live?" Francis Schaeffer's question even more relevant today, methinks. We will be best served if we think abundance rather than scarcity as we honor our new King. It certainly behooves all who still believe in a God who is over all creation. 

Let every person be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except from God, and those authorities that exist have been instituted by God.⁵ Therefore one must be subject, not necessarily because of wrath but also because of conscience (Romans 13:1,5 NRSV).

Perhaps in reverse order of Richard Rohr wisdom, our King’s lifetime of waiting, of reflection and/or acting out may well be what has equipped him for the role he now assumes. May our Creator God grant him the wisdom and the courage to be and to do, significant actions toward the end of his days.

God save our gracious King.