October 18, 2015
Lake Placid, New York hosted the winter Olympics in 1980. Most of us think of the “Miracle on Ice” when we think of that event. There is a much lesser known story about how power and privilege are not always played out the way we'd think. The King and Queen of Sweden were there to see their hockey team play. They arrived at the hockey arena and showed the ticket-taker their tickets. He wouldn't let them in because the tickets were for another game on another day. The king explained they did have the correct tickets but they left them in the car. He played the “don't you know who I am card”...couldn't you make and exception for us please? “You see, I'm the King of Sweden.” The ticket-taker responded, “Sure you are...and I suppose this lady is the queen.” This was New Your you know.
So they had to go back to their car to get the right tickets. As the king and queen hurried around the corner, they arrived just in time to see their car being towed away.
We'd like to think that having a position like a king or queen would mean you could eliminate common problems like this. Most people would like a position of power and honor; positions where you get what you want. That's what James and John were looking for in the gospel reading today—honor and glory; power and authority. "Grant us to sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your glory."
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