“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 and my devotion.”
This quote from the Queen’s 1957 Christmas broadcast sums it all up for me. A life lived so well, before God, with a beautiful mix of duty and devotion.
Royal, yet servant-hearted. Regal, yet hard-working. Crowned, yet kind.
In an age where character no longer seems to be king, I’m so grateful that this steadfast, faithful and dedicated follower of Christ* was our Queen.
I join my voice today to the millions of others mourning the loss of Queen Elizabeth II and celebrating her inspiring legacy. May she rest in peace and rise in glory.
* In her Christmas Message of 2000, Queen Elizabeth II said: “For me the teachings of Christ and my own personal accountability before God provide a framework in which I try to lead my life.”
Wikipedia notes that, “Aside from her official religious role as Supreme Governor of the established Church of England, Elizabeth II worshipped with that church and also the national Church of Scotland. She demonstrated support for inter-faith relations and met with leaders of other churches and religions, including five popes: Pius XII, John XXIII, John Paul II, Benedict XVI and Francis. A personal note about her faith often featured in her annual Christmas Message broadcast to the Commonwealth.”
Related Off-site Links:
Queen Elizabeth II Has Died – BBC News (September 8, 2022).
Obituary: Queen Elizabeth II – A Long Life Marked By a Sense of Duty – BBC News (September 8, 2022).
Queen Elizabeth II, the Longest-serving British Monarch, Has Died at 96 – Becky Sullivan (NPR News, September 8, 2022).
Mourn the Queen, Not Her Empire – Maya Jasanoff (The New York Times, September 8, 2022).
How Peter Morgan, Netflix and The Crown Brought Us Closer to Understanding the Real Queen Elizabeth II – Jessica Riga (ABC News, September 12, 2022).
Queen Elizabeth Wore the Crown For Seven Decades. Can the British Monarchy Survive Without Her? – Rebecca Armitage (ABC News, September 12, 2022).
See also the previous Wild Reed posts:
• Progressive Perspectives on the 2019 British Election
• Christmas in Australia (2010)
• The Model of Leadership Offered by Jesus: “More Like the Gardener Than the Owner of the Garden”
• Genuine Authority
• Europe 2005: Part 1 – London
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