“Bless you prison, bless you for being in my life. For there, lying upon the rotting prison straw, I came to realize that the object of life is not prosperity as we are made to believe, but the maturity of the human soul.”
― Aleksandr I. Solzhenitsyn, The Gulag Archipelago 1918–1956.
Life is often unfair, one could argue we are predestined for a purpose. Metaphorically, we each represent a piece on the chessboard. There are the pawns which make up the majority, with the rest of the pieces being the aristocrats, ruling class and global elite.
The pawn is the least powerful, largely used as cannon fodder, and is only able to advance when supported by other pawns and powerful players. It is the most vulnerable when isolated, and whenever it is able to cross over to the opponent’s side, it is promoted Queen, an almost insurmountable task and often only made possible if it advantages what’s left of the ruling class. The word “pawn” derived from the French “peon”, is a Medieval Latin term for “foot soldier”, otherwise known as “peasant” or “farmer”. The pawn is the little guy.
According to Hegelian Dialectic, we are trapped in multiple states of being, but we refuse to see we are destined for either power, servitude, then death. Some of us are deluded into thinking we can make it across to the other side, to become kings and queens, aristocratic masters on the world’s domain or masters of our own minute universe.
As pawns on the chessboard of life, we are the little guys playing for a king to whom we naively pledged allegiance. Whether that king is Israel, Palestine, Ukraine, Russia, some multimillion dollar company, or Mother Earth. We are complicit in our own enslavement. Thinking we have power over our choices, we take sides and jump on band wagons indiscriminately because we think we know everything.
In fact, we know nothing, we have no power, and our choices are manipulated. Everyday, we are dialectically predisposed to choose how we spend our time and resources and most that time is made up by doing their bidding. Whether it be consuming their latest marketed gadget, ideology or poison. The system is set up against us.
The world’s system is an algorithm set up like a chess game with the programmers knowing the multiple, limited moves each of us can make and have made, with most of our moves and circumstances determined by our start in life, our birthplace, race, and inheritance being out of our control. We are either white or black. Whilst that may be the reality, God is yesterday, today and tomorrow, always in control.
Thankfully in Christ, we have a Creator to whom we can turn, a just King. He designed us with free will, the ability to choose right from wrong, and good from evil. Whilst He may not have invented the chessboard or the machinations behind every corrupt system, He is still on His throne, waiting for us to realise the futility and vanity of striving to get the other side. Instead, we can accept Him throughout the process, transcend the system and do all things with Him in mind as our true and loving Saviour. He paved a way of escape from serving the unjust kings when He sent His son to die for us.
Jesus is the panacea to life’s injustices, He loves the little guy. We can share in His victory over sin and death, and live a truly purposeful life. But with that comes a dying. We must die to our sinful nature, the desire to consume, and be lords and rulers of our own universe. Our lives need to be fully surrendered to Him.
Whilst the ruling class and others around us seem to prosper with every shrewd, calculated, conniving move, Jesus promises to one day “pour contempt on them and cause them to wander in the wilderness” (Ps 107:40). He does not take us out of the game, instead He allows us to continue, to strengthen our faith in Him, and share His truth with others. Those who die to themselves, and choose to serve Him will ultimately be the victors. “….Death is swallowed up in victory.” (I Cor 15:54 NKJV)
Just like the chess game comes to an end, this world is not our final destination, and will soon come to an end. Heaven and Hell are eternal, our souls are eternal, and though the powers that be, call us “peon”, Jesus calls us to Him, a Royal nation, His own peculiar people. Our servitude and striving for justice and goodness is not futile in Christ. There is power in being the blessed poor in spirit. We will see the kingdom of God. Trust Him.
“Blessed are the PEON in spirit, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, For they shall be comforted. Blessed are the MEEK, For they shall inherit the earth. Blessed are those who HUNGER and THIRST for righteousness, For they shall be filled.” (Matt 5:3-10)
Beauty For Ashes, Restoration 