Camelot

Friday, August 25, 2023

About that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Who is greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven?”  Jesus called a little child to him and put the child among them.  Then he said, “I tell you the truth, unless you turn from your sins and become like little children, you will never get into the Kingdom of Heaven.  So anyone who becomes as humble as this little child is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven.  Matthew 18:1-4

The romantic motion picture Camelot hit the big screens the year Elizabeth and I married (1967).  Recently we watched it again and I gained a new appreciation for its message of hope for the civilization of human beings.  At the beginning of the movie is a scene where King Arthur introduces Lancelot to his wife, Queen Guenevere.  Lancelot has come from France to join Arthur’s vision of a civilized world, where law and courts provide peaceful solutions to disputes, rather than swords and blood. 

At the center of the force of such change is the round table, a place where the knights would wield might for right.  Such knights must be paragons of virtue, character, and honor.  Guenevere asks Lance who he had in mind to be the role-model for such exemplary goodness.  The Frenchman answers with a bow, saying:  with all humility…me!

Over the course of the movie Guenevere and Lance fall madly in love with each other.  The story comes to a crossroads when their love affair comes to the surface, and they are both accused of treason.  Arthur is torn between his own heartbreak and the thought of revenge; he cannot bear either. 

(spoiler alert if you’ve never watched it….the end of the story comes next)

Lancelot leads an attack on Arthur’s castle to rescue Guenevere, and in the process many knights and soldiers are killed.  The raid is successful, and Arthur’s remaining knights demand revenge.  An army is raised to capture the fugitives.  The round table of justice is gone; only blood will do to restore order.

The final scene shows a dejected King Arthur on the eve of the battle, knowing whatever outcome the next morning’s struggle brings, it is death for any hope for civilization.  He has lost Guenevere, the love of his life, and Lancelot, his dearest friend, and they have lost any hope of peace together.  The world is a bleak place, a bog for any spirit.

Enter Tom Warwick, a 10-year-old boy.  Tom had stowed-away in one of the wagons in the chase to capture Lancelot, hoping to fight for the king.  Arthur tries to send him away, but the boy’s devotion to the king is invincible.  Arthur questions Tom, asking why he would give himself to this business.  Tom’s answer is the whole point of the movie; he’s never even seen a knight, but he has heard the stories of how they protect people and make it safe for everyone.  He wants to grow up to become a knight and serve at the round table.  He has known the dream of peace and would have it at any cost.

Arthur’s whole demeanor changes.  He realizes what stands before him in a young boy’s sparkling eyes is the hope of a civilized world; peace and righteousness is a dream that can never be crushed.

For You Today 

While Camelot and King Arthur’s round table are imaginary, the dream of the rule of righteousness and peace are imbedded within the DNA of every human soul.  It is that which draws us to the loveliness of Jesus and his welcome invitation to deny self, pick up the cross like a knight on a quest to serve, and follow. 

It is that Tom Warwick part of us that Jesus speaks to, when He says:  Unless you become as a child, you’ll never have the peace of the Kingdom of Heaven.

You chew on that as you hit the Rocky Road; have a blessed day!

Go to VIDEO

There are about 2,600 devotional posts and 400 sermons in the Rocky Road library. 

Title Image:  Pixabay.com   Images without citation are in public domain.  

Unless noted, Scripture quoted from NLT^©