So
many of us have been touched by the recent death of Queen Elizabeth. From my
generation forward, we haven’t known a day of our lives until now that the Queen
was not on her throne.
A
dear friend just happened to be in Scotland near Edinburgh Castle when the Queen died. On social media, she posted a video of Edinburgh with "God Save the Queen" audio on the day
of her death. The sense of loss was palpable.
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| Edinburgh Castle, photo credit Melissa Tanner |
Whatever
one thinks of the monarchy, Queen Elizabeth’s enduring presence for seventy
years has been a thread that provided constancy in a world of certain change.
As
I looked over the news coverage from the past week, I found this quote from her
that Prince Edward read at the Church of England’s eleventh national assembly
when she was unable to attend a few months back. These words
"None of us can
slow the passage of time; and while we often focus on all that has changed in
the intervening years, much remains unchanged, including the Gospel of Christ
and his teachings."
The
older we get, the more her words resonate about none of us being able to slow
the passage of time. But like her, we have found that what is unchanged keeps
us steady and unmovable.
Her
words echo those of Paul in Hebrews 13:8, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday
and today and forever” and also James 1:17, “Every good and perfect gift is
from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not
change like shifting shadows.”
The
Queen, a lover of the Bible, once asked, “To what greater inspiration and
counsel can we turn, than to the imperishable truth to be found in this
treasure house, the Bible?” Again, the focus is on what does not change recalling
the writing of the Psalmist, “Your word, Lord, is eternal; it stands firm in
the heavens" (Psalm 119:89).
As
the remembrances of her continue over the next few days, much will be said
about her service and her reign, but many think her greatest legacy is her enduring
faith in Jesus Christ.
