The King Is Coming: Holding Hope in a Shifting World

A Legend with a Deeper Echo

I’ve been rewatching the 2006 adaptation of Robin Hood lately — yes, I know it’s not exactly new anymore — and I was struck by how much this old story resonates with the Christian life.

You know the plot: while King Richard is off fighting in the Holy Land, his kingdom falls into the hands of the cruel Sheriff of Nottingham. Robin and his band of outlaws hide in the forest, helping the poor, resisting injustice, and — crucially — longing for the return of the true king who will set things right.

That sense of waiting, of holding on in difficult circumstances because a better day is coming, is more than just good storytelling. It’s a reflection of the Christian imagination — one that’s been with us for centuries. Robin Hood might be folklore, but the ache at its heart — the desire for justice, the belief that King Richard will eventually return and put things right — is something deeply biblical.

A Cloud of Witnesses

The Bible speaks into this longing in powerful ways. In the New Testament, the book of Hebrews was written to a group of early Christians who were tired, pressured, and tempted to give up. They’d started following Jesus full of hope and excitement — but the cost was high. They were being sidelined, criticised, even persecuted.

So the preacher of Hebrews writes a sermon that says, in essence: Don’t give up. You’re not alone. Others have gone before you. Keep running your race, eyes fixed on Jesus.

And the same message rings true today. We’re not the first to find this life of faith hard going.

Tudor Vicars and Today’s Pressures

As part of our summer sermon series exploring our Spiritual DNA, I’ve been digging into the history of our local churches. And in Frankton and Bourton, the 1500s were a time of massive upheaval.

In Frankton, the Reformation-era saw a rapid turnover of clergy — men like John Newley and Thomas Dayle, who served brief tenures during the volatile early years of Queen Elizabeth I’s reign. It’s likely they resigned due to deep theological convictions. Imagine the courage it would take to walk away from your livelihood — your community — simply because your conscience wouldn’t let you go along with the shifting expectations of church and state.

Just a few miles down the road in Bourton, however, we see something different: vicars like Richard Prowde and William Gilbert staying put. They remained through the storm, preaching, pastoring, and persevering through decades of uncertainty.

Two different responses — but both faithful. Some left to preserve integrity. Others stayed to provide stability. And both remind us that Christian faithfulness doesn’t always look the same — but it always leans on hope.

Then and Now

The choices those rectors faced — which prayer book to use, which doctrines to affirm — might feel distant from our world of online forms, quinquennial reports, and safeguarding paperwork. But the underlying struggle? That’s not so different.

Today, many of us in church leadership — and in the pews — feel worn down. The admin is relentless. The bills keep coming. We pour ourselves into events, and the turnout is… underwhelming. And beyond church life, many of us are navigating illness, employment stress, family strain — or just the quiet ache of uncertainty.

But here’s the good news. The most important thing hasn’t changed:

The King is still coming.

Hope that Holds

Hope in Jesus’ return doesn’t magically remove the challenges. But it changes how we walk through them. It gives us courage for today. It reminds us that this isn’t all there is — that faithfulness matters even when it’s unseen, unrewarded, or unglamorous.

And unlike Robin Hood’s King Richard — who may not have lived up to the legend — King Jesus will never disappoint. He is faithful, just, and good beyond anything we can imagine.

So we carry on — not alone, but surrounded by a cloud of witnesses, ancient and modern, cheering us on.

Let’s live like Robin in Sherwood — doing what good we can, holding the line, choosing hope — because we believe the true King is on His way.

The King is coming. Until then, we hold firm, live with grace and courage, and let that hope shape every part of our lives.