A WORD FOR TODAY, September 9, 2022
Peggy Hoppes
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Blessings. Peg
A WORD FOR TODAY, September 9, 2022
“Yahweh reigns! He is clothed with majesty! Yahweh is armed with strength. The world also is established. It can’t be moved. Your throne is established from long ago. You are from everlasting. The floods have lifted up, Yahweh, the floods have lifted up their voice. The floods lift up their waves. Above the voices of many waters, the mighty breakers of the sea, Yahweh on high is mighty. Your statutes stand firm. Holiness adorns your house, Yahweh, forever more.” Psalm 93, WEB
My mother shared a birthday with Queen Elizabeth. They weren’t born the same year, but close. My mother’s heritage is English and Welsh; as a matter of fact, her maiden name can be found among the queen’s noble relatives. I loved the film “King Ralph” in which John Goodman is an American who becomes the unlikely King of the United Kingdom after an electrical accident wipes out the British Royal Family. Though unlikely, but isn’t it fun to wonder, “What if?” I have wished her and the queen a happy birthday every year for as long as I can remember, even after my mom's death.
We spent four years in England. One of my favorite memories is the day we visited Westminster Abbey. Most of you are probably familiar with the Abbey, as it is one of the most famous places in London. It is the site of royal coronations. Princess Diana’s funeral took place at the Abbey Church as well as Will and Kate’s wedding. The site is filled with incredible art and architecture. It is a thousand years old and tells the history of England. It is filled with the graves and monuments of kings and queens, heads of state and other national figures. There is even a corner of the church dedicated to literary figures like Chaucer, Browning and Tennyson. Scientists such as Isaac Newton and Charles Darwin are buried there. As is William Wilberforce, who fought for the end of slavery in England. It is a building filled with dead people, and that’s why so many people visit. The tombs are magnificent and the history fascinating, so it is worth the trip.
We visited around lunchtime on a weekday and while we were wandering through the chapels with the rest of the tourists, we overheard an announcement inviting visitors to a brief communion service they have during the lunch hour each day. We were excited about the opportunity, after all, how often do you get to worship in such a grand and historic place! We asked for help from the vicars who were scattered around the church to help visitors and they led us to the worship area. The congregation was about twenty-five people, and I was taken aback that so many were more interested in the dead people’s tombs than the Living God who was about to offer Himself to us as we worshipped. It was a brief but lovely service, we received communion along with the others. I was struck by the reality of what happens at the communion rail during that service: I was kneeling where kings and queens (perhaps even Queen Elizabeth), world leaders, and famous people had knelt to receive the body and blood of Christ. I realized that there on our knees God saw us all equally. He sees everyone through Jesus-colored glasses who comes humbly to His table.
I may joke about being a royal many times removed, but I would never expect that same equality in the world outside worship. Oh, God loves me as much as He loves Queen Elizabeth, but I don’t think I should take that as an invitation to go hang out with the royal family. I like to tell everyone that one of my claims to fame (or so I joke) is that I’ve eaten at every one of Queen Elizabeth’s homes. I had tea at Sandringham, her country estate in Suffolk. I had a ham sandwich while walking around the gardens of Buckingham Palace. I had sugar cookies at Windsor Castle and a chocolate bar at Holyrood in Edinburgh. Finally, I had tea and an apple at Balmoral, the queen’s country estate in Scotland. Of course, I ate the food as a tourist, not as a guest, items purchased in the tea or gift shops. The ham sandwich was the lunch we carried with us from home on the day we visited London.
Silly, I know. We could tell that the queen was in residence at Windsor when we were there because her flag was flying, but for some reason she didn’t come to the garden and invite me inside. I can still claim that I ate at every one of Queen Elizabeth’s homes. I must stretch the truth a little bit, especially at Holyrood, because we were unable to go into the palace the day we visited. Once again, the queen was in residence and the gates were shut to tourists for her safety and comfort. I explained my quest to one of the guards and he was kind enough to allow me to stick my foot through the gate so that I would be “standing” in the palace grounds when I ate my chocolate. I know it is a silly claim to fame, but I like to tell the story.
One of the clerks in the gift shop of Holyrood let us in on a secret when we were there. She told us that the queen liked to mingle with visitors at Balmoral when she was in residence. She also told us that she would be there a few days later. We were still going to be in Scotland, so we decided to make the very long drive on tiny Scottish roads blocked by flocks of highland sheep to see if we might catch a glimpse. The place was all abuzz when we arrived, as the staff prepared for the upcoming visit. We didn’t know when she would arrive but knew she would get there by helicopter. We took the tour and sat down in the tea shop for a bite to eat as we waited. Unfortunately, the long trip meant that we had to leave too early, so we missed meeting her that day.
She was such a gracious and generous monarch, and it was nice to know that she took the time to mingle with the visitors to Balmoral. I’m sure that she saw it as a safe place. We drove for at least five hours from our hotel. It was the farthest north we visited during our time in England, and it is out in the countryside. It was easy to protect the queen from crowds and it is an idyllic setting for relaxed interaction. As we mourn her death today, I have seen so many posts with pictures of her interacting with the crowds and you can see that she enjoyed being with her people. Unfortunately, for her safety she had to allow a wall to be built to protect her while still being available to those who loved her. One of my favorite recent pictures was taken at a newly built train station that was named in honor of her the 70th anniversary of her ascension to monarch showing her buying the first train ticket. She looked so joyful doing something so mundane.
Seventy years, seven months and two days is a long time to stay in one job. During that time, she served with fifteen prime ministers and fourteen U.S. presidents (she met thirteen). She gave her assent to more than 4,000 Acts of Parliament. She visited well over 100 countries during her reign, traveling nearly ten million miles. She reigned so long that they had to update her image on the currency, with a total of five portraits used. On a personal note, she had four children, eight grandchildren, and twelve great-grandchildren. She loved dogs and owned more than 30 Corgis and Dorgis during her reign, most of which descended from her first Corgi, Susan, which was given to Elizabeth II when she turned 18 in 1944.
Elizabeth Alexandra Mary succeeded her father, King George VI, on February 6, 1952. Due to the illness of her father, she was already performing the duties attributed to the monarch of this land, however it was not until his death her position became official. Even at his death, it was necessary to go through the pomp and circumstance of her crowning. A royal coronation is not a simple affair. It takes some time to plan and execute such an event. The Coronation of Queen Elizabeth did not occur until June 2, 1953. Every detail needed to be perfect, every person properly briefed, and every item in its place. Pictures and video from this glorious day certainly show the outcome of hard work and painstaking attention to detail. Now an equally important ceremony will be planned as we lay this beloved woman to rest. She has joined her husband Philip in eternity under the watchful care of their Lord, Jesus Christ.
Those of us who do not live under a monarchy often wonder at the relevance of it today. Those of us who are Christian know that such rule was never what God intended. In the story of Samuel, the people were concerned that they didn’t have a proper leader, and they wanted to be like the other nations. They wanted a king. They had a king, but they wanted a man who would rule over them in a way that was visible not just to themselves but to the world. They thought they needed to have a king who could lead them, provide for them, and protect them from enemies. They rejected God to take upon themselves an earthly king no matter what he might do to them. They accepted the consequences of their choice, and the ultimate consequence was that God gave them a king to lead them, provide for them and protect them. It didn't take very long for the people to realize that an earthly king is imperfect and even dangerous. We don’t have a monarchy in the U.S. today, but we are as drawn to the idea of a leader to lead us, provide for us, and protect us from our enemies. We looked to earthly leaders instead of relying on our God who is our true King.
God’s faced difficult times, particularly when the earthly kings turned away from God, but God never completely abandoned His people. A good king came along every few generations and God blessed His people with safety and prosperity. The suffered at times, too; defeat from enemies and exile were the consequences when they turned from God, led by the kings who did not have faith. England had some bad kings over the years that did not glorify God.
Thankfully all human leaders are temporary. We might want a good ruler to last forever, but even the best fail to be perfect. Queen Elizabeth was a good queen who did many great things for her country and for the world. She wasn’t perfect, however, and there are those who have pointed out her failures. She’s human, after all, and we are all sinners in need of a Savior. While earthly kings can do good in this world, we all need to look to the one King who has done that which is necessary for life.
Earthly leaders come and go, some good and some not so good. They serve, sometimes the people they are charged with ruling and sometimes their own self-interest. On a day like today, when we are mourning a loss of one of the good ones, we can always remember that she was a gift from the true King, our Lord God Almighty. We can thank Him her for her gracious service to the people of the world, but let us remember that that He is the only one worthy to be praised. He is from everlasting and will be forever and ever. He will never be like any of the human monarchs or leaders that have ruled on this earth. Our great eternal King saved us from ourselves and the imperfections of our fallen world and has promised that we will join Him in His Kingdom for eternity.
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