Reflecting on Queen Elizabeth II
We remember today, along with millions across the United Kingdom and the world, the life and legacy of Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II.
She was a remarkable example of a leader who did not glory in her own status or power, but instead faithfully committed to the good of those she was called to serve, and ultimately pointed beyond herself to King Jesus, the One she chose to follow and who gave her the hope and strength to unswervingly lead for 70 years.
On her 21st birthday, Her Majesty promised ‘my whole life, whether it be long or short, shall be devoted to your service,’ and recognised that, ‘I shall not have strength to carry out this resolution alone unless you join in it with me… God help me to make good my vow, and God bless all of you who are willing to share in it.’ This commitment to service continued throughout her entire life, as earlier this year she signed her Jubilee letter, ‘Your servant, Elizabeth R’.
She cared. She loved. She defended. She persevered. She championed. She served.
Her Majesty’s resilience, character and service is truly a profound example of legacy and leadership to us all.
We thank God for the lasting impact she has had on many lives, and we pray for her family, for King Charles III, and for this nation – that in this moment of grief and remembrance, we would look to Jesus, the King she so evidently served and humbly pointed us to, and who she now sees face to face.
‘Throughout my life, the message and teachings of Christ have been my guide and in them I find hope.’
Queen Elizabeth II
In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death – even death on a cross!
Therefore, God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Philippians 2:5-11