dancingthroughchaos

“I declare before you all that my whole life, whether it be long or short, shall be devoted to your service … God help me to make good my vow, and God bless all of you who are willing to share in it” – Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth on the occasion of her 21st birthday (1947; Cape Town)

As the nation goes into a ten day period of mourning for her Majesty the Queen, as the column inches grow exponentially, remembering and bringing tributes, and the colour supplements flood the shelves, you’d be forgiven for thinking we’re a nation who is all at sea.

While strikes and sporting events have been cancelled, flags will fly at half mast, gun salutes will be fired and thousands of people will file past Her Majesty’s coffin both in St Giles’ Cathedral, Edinburgh, and later in Westminster Hall, London.  A flurry of activity will be unleashed in the Royal Households as ages-old protocols are set in motion to honour the longest serving monarch of them all, and to prepare for her funeral in Westminster Abbey.

World leaders have sent their condolences.  Whether they refer to her as ‘an icon’, ‘a beacon’ or ‘a role model’, they universally reference her grace, her warmth, her kindness and her sharpness of mind.

The heir-in-waiting now steps into the role for which he was born.  King Charles III will be officially proclaimed King tomorrow and the Royal Standard will be flown briefly at 1pm (BST), before being returned to the half mast position.

So now, everything changes.  We may not have known her personally, but we saw the Queen every day on our money, on our letters, on coats of arms printed on everything from cereal packets to civic and government buildings.  New coins must be minted, notes printed and pilar boxes designed.

I grew up in a family which held a deep respect for the Queen, the traditions and history of our nation.  As for so many of us, including my mother who (as you know) has just turned ninety, she was there before I was born and her reassuring presence gave the nation a continuity that undergirded the comings and gongs of political parties and Prime Ministers.  The changes she has seen across the world are mind-boggling: the second World War and its aftermath; the first moon landing; the fall of the Iron Curtain and the Berlin Wall; the independence of umpteen African nations; the wave of technology from  microwaves, videos, DVDs, mobile phones, the internet and a new war in Europe.  She’s been at the helm of the realm throughout.

We are well aware that the role of the Monarchy has changed enormously in the last one hundred and fifty years.  There is no direct political power or affiliation, but influence, wisdom, questioning and discussion are active in the weekly meetings with the Prime Minister of the day. 

Most of us knew her Majesty as a figurehead and she was well aware of the parameters of her position.  In her 1957 Christmas broadcast she said, “I cannot lead you into battle. I do not give you laws or administer justice, but I can do something else. I can give you my heart.” 

Now, to have a new Monarch and a new Prime Minister within 48 hours of one another is surely unprecedented and may well engender a feeling of disorientation in the heart of even the staunchest republican; a sense of being cast adrift in a new era without a clear compass to direct us.

Her Majesty had an unbreakable compass which she used to steer her way through her life of duty.

Although her role fell to her through the misfortune and choices of others, and required the relentless and unmerciful sacrifice of family, relationships and more, it was this unflinching pointer which kept her on the track she believed God had entrusted to her.  

In her very first Christmas broadcast in 1952 she referred to the source of her strength, commitment and endurance:

“Pray that God may give me wisdom and strength to carry out the solemn promises I shall be making and that I may faithfully serve Him and you, all the days of my life’.

At the turn of this century, she became increasingly confident in mentioning her faith in those annual Christmas speeches:

‘For me the teachings of Christ and my own personal accountability before God provide a framework in which I try to lead my life.’ (2000)

‘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.’ (2002)

‘I hope that, like me, you will be comforted by the example of Jesus of Nazareth who, often in circumstances of great adversity, managed to live an outgoing, unselfish and sacrificial life … He makes it clear that genuine human happiness and satisfaction lie more in giving than receiving; more in serving than in being served.’ (2008)

‘God sent into the world a unique person—neither a philosopher nor a general, important though they are, but a Saviour, with the power to forgive.’ (2011)

‘This is the time of year when we remember that God sent his only son ‘to serve, not to be served’. He restored love and service to the centre of our lives in the person of Jesus Christ.’ (2012)

‘Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace … is an inspiration and an anchor in my life.’ (2014)

I feel a long way from home right now; I am 6,000 miles away in Cape Town, the city from which she made her 21st birthday speech quoted above.  I will be following the news and watching the commemorations as avidly as if I were back in the UK and will be as much a part of this moment in history as I can be.  That will be a comfort.  

But, more than this is the assurance that the faith the Queen had was so much greater than duty; so much more alive that following the weekly service or knowing the rubric of a prayer book or sermon.  Trusting God, knowing not a dry philosophy, a doctrine or a list of rules, but the person of Jesus Christ Himself is a faith which extends its invitation to everyone from pauper to palace; myself included.  Yourself included.