It’s His-Story

In the 5th century the Romans, who occupied most of Britannia, finally pulled up stakes and went home.  They had troubles enough of their own to worry about back in the Mediterranean.  Too many flies and not enough soup were on the Roman dinner table in those days, especially with that obnoxious Attila the Hun hovering around for a waiter! (1)  So, the native peoples left behind in Britannia were given a hearty “good luck”, and that was that.  The Britons and Angles in the south had done the most mixing with the Romans, but the Picts and Gaels in the north and west were mighty pleased to be rid of those Roman-pests.  There were no Scots or Scotland up there in the north country back then.  It was just an assorted motley crew that roamed and ruled the northern third of Britannia.  Red-headed, short-tempered Picts (so named by the Romans for apparent tattooing) were known for head hunting, but at the same time carved beautiful images on tall stones to communicate and commemorate their lives instead of having a written language.  Then there were  those feisty Gaels that had come over from the large, neighboring island to the west (now called Ireland) who had their own completely different culture and language, a written language.  But, their heads weren’t that much cooler than Picts, so many a war was fought amongst them.  Then, with the Britons and Angles raising Cain on their southern side, it was a rare thing indeed to just sit on your back stoop sipping tea and swatting flies on a quiet summer evening.  Nonetheless, God does the craziest, coolest things.  He began to bring His Message of His Son, Jesus Christ, through the Gaels.  Sure they didn’t communicate it perfectly all the time, but the message of Christianity started spreading.  Columba came from Ireland in the 6th century, among other missionaries, and helped to spread the Word of God.  Of course God’s Message met with great resistance.  In fact there was actually a face-to-face, spiritual show-down between the missionary Columba and the druid of a Pictish king!  The druid lost, but Christianity was still slow to spread into the lives of the Picts and their Pictland, or, as it was sometimes called, Caledonia.  Albeit loosely, there was some level of amalgamation between the Picts and Gaels during the next few centuries, especially with the Angles harassing them from the south.  The enemy of my enemy is my friend, don’t-ya-know!  Then the 9th century brought devastation to everyone: Vikings!  They came in their swift and silent Viking ships (knarrs) from the north (Scandinavia) and devoured lands and people not only in the British Isles, but also in what is now Europe, Russia, Turkey, Africa and Canada.  Isn’t it interesting that God’s message of love and hope was sent ahead of the storm to provide a source of strength and peace for what was to come?  At the end of this century (with many a twist and turn by birth, death, betrayal and the almighty hand of God) the Gaels and the Picts merge for real into one kingdom.  In 889 A.D. we have the first written notation of this united kingdom of Alba, which is Gaelic for Scotland.  Eventually the Pictish language disappears.  Gaelic becomes the language of power and then the language of the common people.  All this to say, God’s sovereignty amazes me.  We think we are the ones in control of our lives, that our free-will rules the day.  But, I’m reminded of a proverb in the Bible:  “The king's heart is in the hand of the LORD; He directs it like a watercourse wherever He pleases.” (Proverbs 21:1)  Is your family a loose confederation of combatants?  Have “Vikings” raided your work-place and are terrorizing your future?  Is your old, familiar way of living life disappearing into the “Highland mists” never to come back?  Listen, the Lord God Creator loves you, and He is sending this message to you:   

Let Me heal your brokenness.  Come, follow Me.  I love you.