November/December 2022

With the world tuned in, it fell to Huw Edwards on the BBC to bring the anticipated news that Queen Elizabeth II had died. Though many of you readers will remember the time of King George VI, for those of us under 70, she is the only monarch we have ever known.

In the days that followed, I was pondering what makes a good monarch. Serving the people is fundamental to the role, as the Queen reiterated by signing her jubilee letter to the nation and commonwealth: ‘Your servant, Elizabeth R.’ That she was by rights immensely wealthy and powerful actually helps that. If she had everything she wanted, there was little to be gained by abusing her position for personal gain. Further, though she was given a role by her birth, she willingly served in that role when she could have stepped aside. Such service requires care for those you serve.

These aspects are even more so of Jesus. By rights he was not just wealthy and powerful, but as God’s Son he owns and rules all that there is as the Creator. There was nothing for him to selfishly gain that wasn’t already rightfully his. He was then born into a role as the promised King and his life was for our salvation. Caring for our spiritual condition, he willingly served even being given over to death to bring us to God.

As Christmas approaches, we come to the time of year when we spend more time remembering how King Jesus was born and took upon himself the role of a servant. In this edition, we have a few articles to help us ponder this awe-invoking act of Christ coming to this earth. As a servant, he cared for us and so, we as his people are to care for others. A handful of our articles take up this theme of God’s people caring for those with various needs.

Besides all that we have several more general articles, a good number of books we have reviewed and recommend (maybe some Christmas gifts in there), and our update is jam packed with news of all that went on over the summer months. We pray that this edition does you good as a subject of King Jesus.