A royal celebration

n April I was fortunate enough to have the opportunity to visit my friend Colin Bond in Uganda. Colin and his wife Joy invested their savings in building and running a hotel in Fort Portal. It is called 'Sunrise' and is on a high hill overlooking beautiful scenery and mountain ranges. The hotel is unlike any other I have seen - built with huge balconies to enjoy the balmy sunshine and scenery, all mod cons and a wonderful restaurant with a 10-foot TV projection screen for football matches! – That draws a crowd! 'Sunrise' is a great place to stay if you want to visit the Queen Elizabeth Safari Park (or half-a-dozen other National Parks in the area). Let me recommend it to you for a visit!

While I was there sitting on the balcony, I saw another building – the only one higher than Sunrise standing across on the other side of town. What was it? I was told it was the royal palace of the Toro Kingdom and that I was tremendously privileged because the coronation of King Oyo, the King of Toro, was taking place that weekend. I thought Uganda had a president – it does, but the country is also divided into a number of tribal Kingdoms. The Kings of these kingdoms really carry the hearts of the people, so they have a lot of influence with the elected government.

	Left - King Oyo's palace; above - King Oyo aged three.

So I decided to go to see the 'palace' the day before the coronation. The King was not to be seen – he became king at the age of 3 (!) but is only now being crowned on his 18th birthday. In fact he came over especially from the UK where he has been studying. The palace is a round building with an entrance indicated by a red carpet. When you arrive you can walk on the carpet and go inside and look around! The King’s mother was there in attendance talking to honoured guests who arrived early for the celebration. People queued to exchange a few words with her. The main entrance room was filled with a golden throne and sofas around. We all wanted our pictures taken stood next to (but not sitting on!) the throne. Outside all was ready for the next day’s ceremony, tents and marquees filling the enormous grounds – there was even a pop concert already going on. On the road leading up to the palace all kinds of vendors were selling the usual 'royal family souvenirs': special mugs bearing the young King’s face, royal calendars, souvenir books with the history of the royal generations, posters of the members of the family, even King Oyo key rings!

Above all in Fort Portal there was an atmosphere of great excitement and expectation – every hotel was full, including ours, princes from other royal families from as far as Swaziland were present, dressed in their traditional royal garb – even President Gadaffi of Libya had sent his best wishes and hopes for the new King!

never actually saw the coronation or met King Oyo myself: I hope he will turn out well. Everyone expects him to bring prosperity and make sure the wishes of the Toro tribe are strongly put forward in the country – but he is only 18! Wherever we live, we all of us want to look up to someone to give us hope for the future...footballer, tennis player, or King. Someone who can help us look beyond the shaky times we live in.

I think that is a God-given desire. Because I have discovered another King who is different from every earthly King. A King, who made us in his likeness, knows us and loves us unconditionally. This King doesn’t live on a distant hill, hidden from view, but meets us in pain and deep need with love and power to help us. He is a real King who will never be superseded - a King who is living for us. He is a King who wants to bring the life of heaven down to you whoever you are and whatever you have done - in fact he is out looking for you to bless you right now. So if you can’t get to Uganda to meet King Oyo, you can meet King Jesus to-day right here in Tavistock – try him!
(PS If you want an introduction I can arrange one for you!)

David