The Once and Future King

“King Arthur” by Charles Earnest Butler (1903), (Public Domain)

TH White’s The Once and Future King tells the story of King Arthur defeating evil through moral, lawful, and non-violent means. 

This is the dilemma good men have always faced, and Christians face today.  Divisiveness and hatred are on the rise.  Persecution may not be far behind. How are we to respond? 

French Revolution 

There are those who say “an eye for an eye” is the only appropriate response.

France, in effect, adopted that attitude during the Reign of Terror.   Maximilien Robespierre and the Committee of Public Safety inflicted “swift, severe, and inflexible justice” which took the form of mass executions of nobles, clergy, and perceived political opponents [1][2].  An estimated 300,000 were arrested, with some 17,000 executed.  Many more died in prison without benefit even of a show trial. 

In the process, France was effectively dechristianized [3].  Initial attacks on the corruption of the church and the wealth of high church officials became widespread persecution [4].

Indian Revolution

“By its very nature, non-violence cannot ‘seize’ power, nor can that be its goal.  But non-violence can do more; it can effectively control and guide power without capturing the machinery of government.  That is its beauty.”

–Mahatma Gandhi [5]

Mahatma Gandhi took a different approach in India’s struggle for independence from British rule.  In his view, Britain’s military might could be dismantled by exposing its moral bankruptcy [6][7].  This required both sacrifice and courage.  When unarmed protesters who engaged in civil disobedience were met with violence, the injustice of British rule became clear to the international community [8].

Gandhi, a practicing Hindu, deeply admired the Sermon on the Mount which contains the Beatitudes (Matt. 5; 1-12), and saw in it a spiritual blueprint for life.  He read it daily, alongside the Bhagavad Gita, and believed its teachings of love, nonviolence, humility, and compassion were universal [9].

Unfortunately, Gandhi’s experiences with Christian communities in South Africa, England, and India often revealed a gap between the teachings they claimed to follow and lived reality [10].

The Once and Future King

Christ is our once and future King, the King of kings, and Lord of lords (Rev. 17: 14, 19: 16).  The only question is whether we will choose to follow Him, come what may. 

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[1]  Encyclopedia Britannica, “Reign of Terror”, https://www.britannica.com/event/Reign-of-Terror.

[2]  Wikipedia, “Reign of Terror”, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reign_of_Terror.

[3]  Wikipedia, “Dechristianization of France during the French Revolution”, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dechristianization_of_France_during_the_French_Revolution.

[4]  Catholic Journey, “The French Revolution’s Hidden War Against Catholic France:  Untold Stories of Faith Under Fire”, https://catholicjourneyblog.com/the-french-revolutions-hidden-war-against-catholic-france-untold-stories-of-faith-under-fire/#google_vignette.

[5]  Foundation for Economic Education, “12 Gandhi Quotes on Non-Violence, Force, and the State” by Jon MIltimore, 7/17/23, https://fee.org/articles/12-gandhi-quotes-on-non-violence-force-and-the-state/.

[6]  Gandhi Study, “Gandhi’s Non-Violent Struggle Against British Colonialism in India”, 8/8/25, https://gandhi.study/gandhis-political-thought/gandhi-non-violent-struggle-british-india/.

[7]  Wikipedia, “Indian independence movement”, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indian_independence_movement.

[8]  Law Shun, “Britain’s Oppressive Rule Over India:  Unfair Laws and Harsh Realities” by Cameron Miranda, 9/4/25, https://lawshun.com/article/did-britain-have-harsh-laws-over-india#google_vignette.  

[9]  National Catholic Reporter, “Gandhi’s daily Scripture readings for peace” by John Dear, 8/20/13, https://www.ncronline.org/blogs/road-peace/gandhis-daily-scripture-readings-peace.

[10]  Mahatma Gandhi, “Gandhi’s message to Christians”, https://www.mkgandhi.org/africaneedsgandhi/gandhis_message_to_christians.php.

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