The Unified Mind
Introduction
Shakespeare’s several plays involving King Henry V begin with young Prince Henry as a vain, dissolute young man who spends his time drinking and carousing with old John Falstaff. But when Henry’s father, the king, dies, Henry changes. Prince Henry realizes his unworthiness and that the crown will be his through no virtue of his own. So he confesses to his dying father: “You won it, wore it, kept it, gave it me.” Then, upon the crown being given to him, Henry vows to live a worthy life:
The tide of blood in me
Hath proudly flowed in vanity till now.
Now doth it turn and ebb back to the sea,
Where it shall mingle with the state of floods,
And flow henceforth in formal majesty.1
And from then on Henry V becomes one of the worthiest and noblest kings of England—his noble heritage flowed from him with majesty.
There is something of this idea in the opening lines of our text, though it may not be readily apparent. The line reads, “Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ”—which in effect is a call to individually say, “Let the tide of blood in me (the life of Christ) flow henceforth in formal majesty.” This will become clear as we unpack the treasures of this opening line.
We experience the joy of “spiritual teamwork” as we strive together for the faith of the Gospel.
Sometimes a team has a “glory hound” who has to be in the spotlight and get all the praise. Usually he makes it difficult for the rest of the team. They aren’t working equally together, but are working to make one person look good. It is this attitude that makes for defeat. Unfortunately, we have some “glory hounds” in the church.