6th May 2026

I am a great fan of science fiction and fantasy stories. As I write this, I have just watched the latest Netflix episode of ‘The Witcher’ (you may know the director, if not the series – a certain Jeremy Webb). There is a scene towards the end where the hero, Geralt of Rivia, is knighted by the queen, who clearly expects Geralt to swear his allegiance to herself. Geralt, a mercenary for hire, is clearly uncomfortable with this idea of unconditional allegiance to a queen.

It is a scene that came to mind as I read the story of St Stephen in Acts chapter 7. Stephen, one of the early leaders of the church, had been seized by the crowds, brought before the ruling council and, following a speech before his accusers, became the first-recorded Christian martyr. What provoked the crowd’s anger towards Stephen? It was his apparent condemnation of the Jerusalem temple and the law of Moses – the foundations of the people’s religious practice. I think Stephen was saying that their allegiance to these symbols of God’s revelation had blinded them to seeing how God had visited them in a new way – in the person of his son, Jesus Christ.

So, where does our allegiance lie? Is it to our King and country? Is it to our church at Tyndale, or to the traditions and institutions of the Christian faith? Might I suggest that our allegiance is first and foremost to Jesus Christ, whose resurrection we continue to celebrate during this season of Easter.

Ian Waddington