For centuries, a special flag called the Royal Standard has represented the king or queen of the United Kingdom. It is flown on one of the royal residences, or on a car, ship, or aircraft when the sovereign is present. When Charles III recently became king, he continued to live in Clarence House in London, England. The Royal Standard is flown there whenever he is in residence, to symbolize that the King is present with his people.

Flags can also be used as a visual expression of worship. At one church that we visited on our travels, my husband and I saw this worship in action. A team of people, many of them children, stood before the platform waving large silk flags of various colours during the singing part of the service. With flag in hand, the leader, a surprisingly agile white-haired gentleman, would hold his hands high, then low, making his giant flag dip and swirl in time to the music. He would even twirl himself around, his flag whirling with him, creating a wonderful flow of colour. Sometimes, he would use two flags, one in each hand. At times, he would lead the team up and down the aisles of the church.

I pondered the significance of this particular form of worship. Aha! The dots were connected. The flags in the church were like the Royal Standard flown from the roof of a royal residence! They proclaimed to everyone, "The Lord is here in this place, present with His people." The flags were a visual tool to help us all focus on the presence of the Lord.

Visual tools were often used in the Bible. One time, Joshua was leading the Israelites in fighting against their enemy, the Amalekites. Only while Moses kept his staff raised at the top of a nearby hill were the Israelites winning the battle. When he became too tired to hold the staff up, Aaron and Hur found a stone for him to sit on, and they held up his hands. This action of holding up a staff in his hands proclaimed that God was present, which was the reason that the Israelites had won the battle. After the victory, "Moses built an altar there and named it Yahweh-Nissi (which means 'the Lord is my banner')." (Exodus 17:15 NLT)

John 13:34-35 – So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples. (NLT)

A visual tool in our lives must be the love that we show one another. Our love is more than an emotion, but shows itself in action. People notice when we help even when it's not convenient, when we give even when it hurts, when we use our energy for the welfare of others instead of for our own, and when we absorb hurts from others instead of reacting. Such behaviour is possible only through the indwelling help of the Holy Spirit.

Is your flag flying high to proclaim that you are a follower of Christ?

Prayer: Lord, thank You that You teach us through visual tools. Help us to keep our flag flying high, proclaiming to others that we belong to You. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen.

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About the author:

Alice Burnett <terrencera.burnett@gmail.com>
Red Deer, Alberta, Canada
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