Grief and loss strikes all alike, from palace to terraced house.
Today, our thoughts and prayers go out to ALL who grieve and mourn, and particularly to the family of Queen Elizabeth, who, because of their media profile, we have an extraordinary knowledge of.
We give thanks to God for the long life of Elizabeth, her unstinting service to the life of this nation, the Commonwealth and her diplomatic approach to world affairs. In her humanity she found a greater source of strength with which to rely on through her long life of service.
It’s been no secret that the Queen’s faith in Jesus Christ was of central importance to her. But very little has been written about the particular character of her Christian commitment, or how it fuelled her vision for her role, the nation, and the Commonwealth.
This article is one in a series (Culture & Discipleship) from the the London Institute of Contemporary Christianity.
In his fresh analysis, Mark Greene, co-author of The Servant Queen and the King she Serves, looks in depth at what the Queen herself says about her faith. What emerges is a compelling picture of a global stateswoman whose private and public lives have been shaped by the Bible and her relationship with Jesus – whose life of sacrifice, service, and compassion is the inspiration and model for hers.
As the world remembers Her Majesty’s extraordinary achievements, this essay both enriches our appreciation of the Queen's life and challenges us by her example.
What was her secret?
Do anything really well in almost any sphere of life – run a business, run a marathon, run a country – and pretty soon people want to know your secret. What motivated you? Where did you get your inspiration and stamina? What were your guiding principles?
Her Majesty The Queen has rightly been globally praised for doing an outstanding job since she came to the throne at the age of 25. And for 70 years she did her work as Queen, Head of the Commonwealth, and Supreme Governor of the Church of England with amazing diligence, great grace, astute intelligence, deep humility, and tremendous effectiveness.
Where did all that come from – the clarity of vision, the stamina, the steadfastness in duty and care? What shaped and sustained this remarkable stateswoman? While we knew very little about what she thought about a whole host of issues, she was extraordinarily clear about where her guiding principles come from – though the majority of her biographers have rarely paid serious attention to her words.
This is a long read and was written specifically for this Jubilee year. Visit the LICC website for the full article.
Mark Greene
Mission Champion, LICC, and co-author of The Servant Queen and the King she Serves
© Copyright LICC Ltd, 2022
Mark Greene has asserted his right under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act, 1988, to be identified as Author of this work.
