Queen Elizabeth and the Memory Trace in All of Us
“God save the Queen!” the crowd cheered.
As the Archbishop placed the crown on her head, a young Queen Elizabeth II ascended the throne of the United Kingdom. Westminster Abbey was stunning. All the regalia you would expect for such an occasion was present: scepters and swords, robes and rings.
At the age of twenty-five, Elizabeth’s crowning signaled a new era for the United Kingdom.
In September, the world mourned the Queen’s death, and reflected upon her life. Between her coronation in 1953 and casket in 2022, the Queen was a pillar of stability for the British people. She endured constant scrutiny, ruled through numerous wars, and saw fifteen prime ministers come and go. Her life was marked by service and self-sacrifice, and many believed she was the embodiment of the nation. In the end, her reign was the longest of any British monarch, totaling over seventy years.
Given the Queen’s faithful service, it’s not surprising that the entire United Kingdom stood still for her funeral. The Brits give honor where honor is due. What is worthy to note, is the fact that over eleven million Americans got out of bed before 6 am to tune in for the coverage. This amount of interest in the royal family isn’t a one-off either. The last two royal weddings have attracted millions of American viewers as well.
For U.S. citizens, democratic checks and balances are the norm. Political candidates receive votes in order to hold office. The thought of having a sole leader who rules by birthright is at best foreign to those outside the UK, and at worst dangerous. Yet, regardless of our skepticism, there is something captivating about royalty. If you’re like me, you might find yourself leery of the British monarchy, while simultaneously feeling something enduring about it.
Why is that? What is it about kings and queens and crowns that stir up awe and wonder in us?
The Memory Trace
In 1993, Tim Keller preached a sermon on Psalm 2 entitled “Jesus Our King.” In his message, he unearthed some of the reasons we are intrigued by royalty, with a specific emphasis on kingship. “The reason we adore kings,” Keller said, “is because there is a memory trace in the human race, in you and me, of a great King, an ancient King . . . we know we were built to submit to that King, to stand before and adore and serve and know that King.”
The memory trace Keller references is often triggered for us through story. Great tales remind us that there is a King behind the kings. There is a true Legend behind the legends. It’s that feeling you have when Aragorn takes his rightful place as the king of Gondor. It’s the wonder of Aslan’s might in Narnia. For moviegoers, it might be the magic of Wakanda and King T’Challa in The Black Panther. Maybe that’s why the film drew over a billion of us into the theater.
While these heroes are compelling, Keller reminds us that, “Even the greatest kings are just dim reflections of the memory trace in us.” The memory trace is the realization that we were built for a King—and this King is like no other.
The One True King
Kings are not just woven throughout the arts; they are woven throughout the storyline of Scripture. In his book The Kingdom of God and the Glory of the Cross, Patrick Schreiner argues that “The story of the Bible is the story of the King and his kingdom” (26). He goes on to highlight that “kingship is the root metaphor for the Bible’s description of God” (135). The book of Psalms, largely written by King David, frequently refers to God as King:
For kingship belongs to the LORD,
and he rules over the nations. (Ps. 22:28)Sing praises to our King, sing praises!
For God is the King of all the earth . . . (Ps. 47:6–7)Great is the LORD and greatly to be praised . . .
Mount Zion, in the far north,
the city of the great King.
Within her citadels God
has made himself known as a fortress. (Ps. 48:1–3)
There is beauty and wonder in these texts that stir our imaginations. We could list dozens of verses that refer to God as King, but perhaps the most striking is the Lord’s description of himself to the prophet Samuel: “And the LORD said to Samuel, ‘Obey the voice of the people in all that they say to you, for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected me from being king over them’” (1 Sam. 8:7, emphasis added).
Yahweh’s words could not be any clearer, and they could not be more tragic. Israel rejects their true King in exchange for lesser kings. Much of the remainder of the Old Testament entails the fallout from Israel’s poor trade. No human king—not even David—comes close to what they could have had.
Then, with the transition from old to new, the advent of Jesus changes everything! The truer and greater King has come at last—but clearly not in the way we expect. We find a baby in a manger in Bethlehem. An obscure carpenter in Nazareth. A Galilean riding on a donkey. And the paradox of the cross is the culmination of it all. Martin Luther famously said, “The Lord has established his sovereignty from a tree. Who is it who fights with wood? Christ. From his cross he has conquered kings.”
The Christian story is steeped in royalty with a crucified King at the center.
Relating to Jesus as King
To grasp more of the depth and beauty of Christ we can’t stop by merely understanding him as King—we must relate to him as King. Our lives must be lived in light of his Kingly rule. This enriches our lives, families, and ministries the Lord has called us to. There are many areas in our lives I could highlight, but one pivotal area to point out is serving.
It doesn’t matter if a king is good or bad, kings have servants. Royal figures have the right for others to attend to them, and the privilege comes with the office. What a burden it would be to serve a tyrant or harsh dictator. Where’s the joy in that? On the contrary, to serve a loving king is to experience his supreme delight in us as his treasured servants. To serve a benevolent king is also to experience the pleasure of extending his benevolence to others. There is real dignity and satisfaction when we serve this type of leader.
You won’t be a good servant for very long if you don’t recognize who you are serving. You must remember you are not primarily serving your spouse or kids or co-workers. You are not even primarily serving your church. First and foremost, you are serving your King. If you don’t relate to Jesus as King, your service will eventually become drudgery. Human beings aren’t the easiest to serve because they aren’t the best at expressing gratitude. If our delight in serving is contingent upon the response of others, it will fade. But if our delight in serving is to please our King, then we can find joy in it regardless of a person’s response.
Jesus delights when we serve others. As we welcome, feed, and clothe our neighbors, we can sense his smile. And not just anyone’s smile—the King’s smile. “And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me’” (Matt. 25:40).
Serving is just one area where living under Christ’s kingly rule enriches our lives and the lives of those around us.
Hail to the King
As we live between the two advents of Christ, it’s important that we recognize the memory trace for what it is—a longing for someone greater and hope for something more. As we read great tales, watch epic films, and linger in the Scriptures, we can appreciate the wonder of it all.
But the memory trace also has street-level implications. If we don’t recognize and relate to Jesus as King, we miss out on the joy that comes from knowing, serving, and worshipping him as King.
U.S. citizens don’t get the opportunity to cheer for kings and queens in Westminster Abby with full-on national joy, but as Christians, one day we will all gather at the throne of all thrones. We will witness the coronation of all coronations. We will shout together in the city of our great God: “All hail, King Jesus!”
And in that moment, all the dim reflections we’ve had of earthly kings will give way to blinding light.
Ryan Kucera works with RightNow Media, helping resource churches around the globe with gospel-centered content. He has served in pastoral ministry for the last ten years across the great state of Texas. He holds a Master of Divinity from Southeastern Seminary and is a PhD student at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. Ryan and his family are members at The Village Church in Dallas, Texas. You can read more of his writing at ryankucera.net.