Chapter Five
LIFE HAS STRATA
The chess game is symbolic of the stratified life. All men though equal, some are more equal than others. Life is in levels where we have the poor symbolized by the pawns, the rich advisers symbolized by the knights, the bishops symbolizing religion, the soldiers symbolized by the rooks, leadership symbolized by the queen and king. Every one plays different roles.
- The pawns. This could be described as the poor or servants. They are the errand men and women who often are the most prone in society. They face the brunt of negative policies made by the men at the top. No one desires this level but they always are around. It’s a natural phenomenon of life. Jesus made this clear to the disciples when he said “the poor will always be amongst you”. As a matter of fact, there will always be people who will suffer from a disoriented public system. Even when the system is a perfect system, these set of persons will always be there to get the dirty job done.
- Rook. The rooks are soldiers. They are always around to maintain order. They serve as protection for all citizens. In every society, there are often set down rules and guides its members. The innate nature of man is to break rules and rubbish them. The rooks or soldiers act to ensure that order and the rule guiding the state are followed. Against external forces from other states, the rooks stand to defend her state. It is very important component of the society.
- Bishop. The bishop symbolizes religion. In modern society as in ancient times, there has always being a line connecting religion and the state. Religion has played a very important part in the history of many countries whether it is Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Judaism etc. States and governments have and a strong connection with religious components. At the time of Jesus, there were Sadducees and Pharisees who were the bishops of the time. They had enormous power with the political government of the romans at the time and they influenced Government. Many nations today are synonymous with certain religion. India is known for Hinduism, the British for Anglican, Italy for catholic, Ethiopia for Ethiopian orthodox religion, Arabs for Islam, and Jamaica for Rastafarian religion. Religion and has always being an important factor in government.
- Knight. The knights are the advisers around the leadership. A ruler cannot rule without his advisers who are often noble and knowledgeable persons. They are also specialist in their areas where their advice is sought for. They are a necessity for the smooth running of the government. If the leader fails to get the right advice, he could be heading for doom and bad leadership. This is why presidents and leaders of government often do all they can to ensure they get the right persons to carry out the task of governance. They are aware that this person stand as representatives of the ruler so he has to select choice persons of whom he is satisfied will offer good advice and representation. No leader can work alone. He needs people who he will get encouragement from as he strives to build a change making government. The knights often know they have huge responsibility on their hands to ensure the task expected of them by the leader is carried out. Though their knowledge is vital to the smooth running of government, they are to follow the leadership and offer their advice when needed. In today’s political system, they could be seen as senators or representatives, ministers or commissioners as well as other aids
- The queen. The queen is the closest person to the king. In the case of a masculine leader, his wife is often the closest. In the case where the leader has no wife or is a female, the husband or close friend play the role of queen. The queen’s role as in the game of chess versatile. She is a last resort of hope and a final source of strength where others are limited by their position. The queen can and often goes all the way to protect the king. Her powers are unlimited and it’s on her shoulders the king finds solace. The queen often has the first knowledge of the ideas the king is pondering in his mind about. Because of her very closeness to the king, she bears the secrets of the leader and must be there always to protect the interest of the king. If she fails, there is high chance that the king could fail.
- The king. The king is superior leader and commander in chief. He is the source of ideas required to run the government. Though he has so much knowledge, he still has to trust in the capacity of his assistants, advisers, friends and the people he is meant to govern. The king is often a knowledgeable person, one who others look up to. He has to be exemplary and a model for others. His movement on the chess board is in relation to his movement in real life where he is the last to bolt. Others have to be sure of his safety outside before he moves. He has to stay put till the fight or war is ended. Once he is dead, the fight ends. He is an inspiration to every other person under him. During periods of conflict, his presence assures those under him that they can go on and win. His position at the center of the board shows how central he is to the running of the state. He does not have an opinion, he is the opinion.
The different strata of government all have their roles but they recognize that the goal is the common good. None of them is too important though each play quantified roles. There is and always respect for each strata. The leader respects the bishops, pawn, rooks , knights and the queen. They each have their powers and things could go sour if any one chooses not to play their part effectively.
Not everyone can be the king, soldier, queen or bishop. But one has to strive and work hard to climb the levels and strata. There is absolute chance that with hard work, a pawn can reach the position of a king.
