The Queen’s “Inspiration and Anchor”
by Derek Ross
Earlier this week, the world said farewell to Queen Elizabeth II. As many have already observed, hers was a remarkable life, marked by an unwavering sense of duty, service, and charity. Throughout her life, the Queen attributed these virtues to her Christian faith.
In the Queen’s 2014 Christmas broadcast, she said:
“For me, the life of Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace…is an inspiration and an anchor in my life. A role-model of reconciliation and forgiveness, he stretched out his hands in love, acceptance and healing. Christ’s example has taught me to seek to respect and value all people of whatever faith or none.”
In a 2010 speech, she said:
“What matters is holding firmly to the need to communicate the gospel with joy and conviction in our society...At the heart of our faith stand not a preoccupation with our own welfare and comfort but the concepts of service and sacrifice as shown in the life and teachings of the one who made himself nothing, taking the very form of a servant.”
And just last month, Her Majesty shared these words in a letter to church leaders assembled at the Lambeth Conference:
“Throughout my life, the message and teachings of Christ have been my guide and in them I find hope. It is my heartfelt prayer that you will continue to be sustained by your faith in times of trial and encouraged by hope at times of despair.”
The profound impact of the Queen’s service – and the high regard in which she was held – was reflected in the overwhelming response to her death. Hundreds of thousands of people lined up for kilometres in “The Queue” to pay their respects as she lay in state (some for upwards of 30 hours). It is estimated that 4.1 billion people – more than half of the world’s population – watched her funeral (believed to be the most watched event in history). The public outpouring of tributes, commemoration, and celebration of her life was unprecedented. We may not see anything like it again in our lifetimes.
What generated such an enormous response? In addition to the Queen’s remarkable characteristics, a recurring theme in many tributes was people’s lament for the passing of their “constant”, their sense of familiarity and stability. As governments rose and fell, as world leaders came and went, as wars began and ended, as generations passed, the Queen was a consistent, comforting presence. In a world of uncertainties and unknowns, she was a stalwart. And now, many are lamenting that their sovereign – their constant – has left them.
But the truth is, our Sovereign hasn’t left us.
Our King – whom the Queen served – is eternal, unchanging, faithful from “everlasting to everlasting” (Psalm 90:22). He is with us always, “to the very end of the age” (Matthew 28:20). He is our dwelling place – our home and sanctuary – “throughout all generations” (Psalm 90:21). Though everything else may change, he is “the same yesterday, today, and forever” (Hebrews 13:8). God is our constant. He is our rock, our refuge and strength. Though the earth may give way and the mountains fall, He is our ever-present help in trouble (Psalm 46:1-2). And unlike any king or queen or other human leader, He will never fail, falter, or let us down (Psalm 121:4).
I was reminded of these promises when the British media reported the appearance of a rainbow over Buckingham Palace, at almost the exact time that news emerged that the Queen had passed. Several days later, on the eve of her funeral, another vibrant rainbow appeared over Westminster Abbey. Both were beautiful sights, and many described them as a perfect reflection of the sovereign’s passing from one world to the next. But, as the book of Genesis reminds us, the rainbow has a deeper meaning: that even as we face uncertainties, the King of Kings will never leave us.
“And God said, “This is the sign of the covenant I am making between me and you and every living creature with you, a covenant for all generations to come: I have set my rainbow in the clouds, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and the earth. Whenever I bring clouds over the earth and the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will remember my covenant between me and you and all living creatures of every kind. Never again will the waters become a flood to destroy all life. Whenever the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and all living creatures of every kind on the earth.” ”
A beautiful truth inherent in this promise is that God is not detached from our lives, but cares deeply about our practical needs and challenges on earth, in the here and now. He didn’t just make that promise to Noah, but to you, and me, and to our children, and their children – it is an everlasting covenant for all generations. God created this world and it matters deeply to Him. He asks us to steward it – to seek His righteousness and justice on earth, to respond faithfully to the needs of those around us.
The Queen was deeply admired by many, and much about her was deeply admirable, and yet, we also recognize that she, like all of us, was not without blemish. We are all flawed, and we must be careful not to venerate someone as if they are not. So as we reflect on the life and death of the Queen of Canada, these two thoughts bear holding together.
First, everything good in her (and us) is a gift from God, and but a pale reflection of His goodness (I suspect that the Queen would have been the first to affirm that).
Second, everything not good in her or her legacy or ours reminds us that there is none truly good but God (Mark 10:8). Thankfully, in His goodness, He promises to make all things new (Revelation 21:5) and desires all things to be reconciled to Him (Colossians 1:20). And He invites us to join Him in that work.
In her 2002 Christmas message – the year of her Golden Jubilee and also the year in which her mother and sister passed away – the Queen shared these words:
I know just how much I rely on my own faith to guide me through the good times and the bad. Each day is a new beginning, I know that the only way to live my life is to try to do what is right, to take the long view, to give of my best in all that the day brings, and to put my trust in God.
Like others of you who draw inspiration from your own faith, I draw strength from the message of hope in the Christian gospel.
One of the hymns sung at the Queen’s funeral – which was said to have special significance to her – was Love Divine, All Loves Excelling. Half of the world heard these lyrics sung at Westminster Abbey:
Finish then Thy new creation
Pure and spotless let us be
Let us see Thy great salvation
Perfectly restored in Thee
Amen.