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As we continue in a series of 'snippets' from the honour contexts being heard in responses and reporting surrounding the world's mourning and memories of the late Queen Elizabeth II …..here is the next 'Snippet' and subsequent thoughts to ponder in relation to our own lives.
SNIPPET 6
There are so many aspects of the recent commentary on the passing of Queen Elizabeth II that cause us to think more about what honour is all about.
But one aspect I haven't touched on yet in this series is how she as a person, in her own character, gave us two amazing examples:
1. Of how honour can and/or should function well in an earthly sense but with eternal perspective2. A glimpse of what it means not just to give honour to a Sovereign Monarch but also receive honour from them.
1. How honour can and/or should function well in an earthly sense but with eternal perspective
So many have commented that a prominent character trait of the Queen was humility. Someone said that she 'didn't take glory for herself'.
If there was anyone on this earth who had an opportunity to do so, or a 'birthright' or position to do so, it was she. Yet she did not. She saw her position as one of service, not of 'lording it over'. Yet she was loved and honoured even more because she did not take honour and glory to herself or claim it as her right.
There is so much talk these days of people wanting dignity and respect, and yet here is a lady who had opportunity and position to grab more of that than anyone else in the world, yet all those who knew her, knew how humble she was.
Her honour was not in what she demanded, and not even all just in her position, but how she lived out her position. Many have made comment and given testimonial examples about her character and how joyful, kind, thoughtful, diligent, faithful, forgiving, peacemaking and loving toward others that she was. She wasn't pre-occupied with honour for herself but how she could honour others through service of others….qualities that made people feel like they wanted to honour her even more.
(By the way, many comment as if she was a special kind of person like a 'rare accidental breed' in this crazy modern world, or that she just grew that way somehow by fate. But she was like that I believe, and in such a steady way over her whole life, because first and foremost she sought to know God better and submit to him and rest in his love and honour above all - I think people got to see a lot of the the Spirit's fruit as they looked at the Queen.)
The Queen was someone who had ascribed honour, and did not need to 'achieve' in order to get her honour status, but she did need to 'achieve' in the sense of living out her life in accordance with her ascribed status. Her achievement was not to get status but to reveal status.
The key to all of this is revealed in a comment I wished I noted the source for but didn't, and it was a comment that the Queen at her coronation knew she could pledge allegiance to serve her people after she had first pledged allegiance to serve God her King.
SELAH - PAUSE TO PONDER
Yes, that statement of first allegiance above gives us the key to it all.
God tells us in his Word that on this earth we may fill positions of honour or have to give honour to those who fill such positions, whether it be parents, church leaders, governmental leaders or employers (masters). But how do we do it in such a way that we can honour God above all in our own lives and also not be seen to be honour-greedy (proud) as we 'accept' such honour in our interactions with others?
I would suggest, that we are very blessed and privileged to have lived in an era when we can look at our Queen and see an example of such Godliness lived out in how she handled this. She has been described as 'an ambassador of how you should really live your life', but she was that because she more importantly knew she was firstly an ambassador of her King of Kings, because she served him first. She saw all that she did as within her higher honour duty to her King of Kings, so whatever honour people gave her, was ultimately for God not herself.
She did not seek glory for herself but with great persevering self-sacrifice over 7 decades of service sought the good of others and the glory of God.
So should we.
She knew and humbly rested in the honour and dignity of her position, her status - not simply her temporary earthly position but her eternal spiritual position. She didn't 'need' the glory from people or to seek 'dignity' from people, as she knew the greatest dignity and glory as the created and redeemed of God. She first and foremost served her King.
So should we.
She wasn't a monarch who locked herself away in a castle detached from her people and unseen in her actions, but lived out her life performing works in accordance with her status for and among her people, not just as Queen, but as a child of the King.
So should we.
2. A glimpse of what it means not just to give honour to a Sovereign Monarch but also receive honour from them.
Earlier snippets have mentioned aspects of giving honour to the Queen and receiving associated honour.
But I want to take this just a step further.
Some have spoken in either unfavourable or concerned tones that we live in a modern world that should not be 'honouring' the Queen in ways that were seen in the past several weeks. Some are just anti-monarchists for various reasons, who feel monarchy is outdated. Such ones have often also been the ones to belittle those who might retell stories of any sense of honour they felt by meeting the Queen or working for the Queen.
Most of the criticism seems to comes from the attitude that Monarchy is 'old fashioned' and we have 'evolved' now to a 'higher more modern advanced state' where we have democracies, or that we should not have to submit, or bow to another human being and another human being shouldn't be 'above' another just because of the family they are born into. It is believed in many Western contexts (especially USA) that honour and position should be able to be achieved by anyone from any family and not limited or dictated by your birth 'position'.
This then reveals some of the further differences between 'ascribed' and 'achieved' honour and how that within politics, Republics and countries like the USA tend to emphasise achieved honour over ascribed honour. I believe this affects the views of people within such settings more than we might realise. But there is also much we can learn about how these differing emphases impact life by looking at different political and cultural settings, which is something I hope to address in a future blogpost - particularly the differences between the UK and the USA in that regard.
SELAH - PAUSE TO PONDER
So what are some ways in which the Queen's character and example can help us further understand what it means to give and receive honour in relationship with a Monarch?
Some Christians have warned to be careful not to give the Queen too much honour. No, she is not to be given highest honour that should be given to God alone. Many in this world are not looking to God so saw her as a 'rock of stability' in an unstable world. But we should not see her as our ultimate 'rock' of stability in our unsteady and changing world for only God is to be our sure and unchanging, perfectly faithful Rock.
But yet we are reminded that a Godly leader does bring the taste of stability that is to be found in God. While many across the world looked at her and honoured her sadly only as a human being, as Christians we can still honour her for her faithful service and example, which causes us to give greater honour and thanks to God who we know enabled and empowered her each day. In fact we are instructed in Scripture to honour everyone and particularly the Monarch/authorities (1 Peter 2:17), and to actually seek to outdo one another in giving the right kind of honour to others (Romans 12).
Furthermore, how we respond in an earthly sense to an earthly monarch can help us understand more of what it means to respond to our heavenly Monarch, our eternal King of Kings (as discussed also in previous snippets). It can also help us understand how our King of Kings relates to us. There are dynamics of monarchy that are etched onto our hearts and lives because we were made to honour God as our King and be blessed and know the honour of being children of the King so as to be enabled to give honour freely to others instead of trying to grab honour from others. And after all, the gospel is 'The Gospel of the Kingdom'. If we fail to understand what honour in the context of monarchy is all about, we are likely to miss the significance of what it means to be in the 'Kingdom of God'.
In the days following the Queen's death, an article appeared on the Gospel Coalition (Australia) website of the testimony from James Galea who as a young boy had two personal conversations with the Queen on one of her Australia visits.
Within the article, he said:
The 'blankness' was highlighted even more when the Prime Minister (John Howard), who was introducing the Queen to people according to their titles, took a look at my badge and ushered the Queen on. But then she left the Prime Minister's side and began to walk towards me. I have never felt more scared and honoured all at once. She said 'hello' and we began to talk.
In that moment, John 15:16—'You did not choose me, but I chose you …'—came alive for me.I felt like Israel when Moses said, 'the Lord did not set his affection on you and chose you because you were more numerous than other peoples, for you were the fewest of all peoples,' (Deut 7:7). There was nothing about me that Queen was drawn to. Nothing. I wasn't there because I had achieved anything great or shown power or talent. All I had was a blank name badge. And yet she chose to walk towards me.
Very few people have experienced something like this and yet millions have experienced something far greater. All Christians have had the King of kings walk towards them in love. And like me, there is nothing we have done, no title, no rank, just a blank badge that we carry. And yet God walked toward us by leaving heaven, taking on human flesh and dwelling amongst us in Jesus Christ.
We often talk about giving honour to the Sovereign, and oh how important that is, but how much do we think about how God gives honour to people in 'walking towards them in love' …by 'leaving heaven, taking on human flesh and dwelling amongst us in Jesus Christ'.
He speaks to us in his written word, and His Son as the Living Word, showing how he values us enough to warrant his time, attention and love. And furthermore, then in the honour we are given by the King of Kings in being brought into Christ. To be chosen by the Honourable One through no worth of our own is to receive honour indeed!….not an honour that causes us to boast but an honour that causes us to just give more honour in return to the One who gave us the honour.
The Queen, so wonderfully reflecting her King of Kings, didn't overlook people just because they didn't carry earthly status. She wanted to relate with anyone and everyone in a personal way, so clearly demonstrated in the story above.
She looked for ways to bless and help others as not only seen in this story but many others, including arranging to have her Piper, Scott Methven sent a basket of fruit from her Balmoral garden and pastries from her chef to take to the hospital (where his wife was had just been diagnosed with inoperable cancer), to give to the nurses 'so that they would feel valued and would look after his wife especially well'.
We could go on and on much more about the wonderful example Queen Elizabeth II was because she didn't look to people for her glory, she looked to God for her glory, and in turn blessed others and showed forth God's glory.
Not all Monarchs automatically have such traits (just take a look at the Old Testament kings), but when a Monarch first serves God as King, the people are blessed. Though as a female Monarch, she truly demonstrated the truth of Jesus our 'servant king'.
Just as I thank the Lord for the blessing of a Godly father who helped me learn the goodness and love of my Heavenly Father, I also thank the Lord for the gift of living in a time of a Godly Monarch who has helped me learn more of what it means of who God is as my King.
And we have been incredibly blessed in our time by Queen Elizabeth II. Thanks be to God.
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