The impact of faith

Recently I had the privilege of spending 6 weeks leave in the UK. My wife and I arranged an Airbnb in a little village called Twyford, very near to the city of Reading, west of London, where our son and his UK family live. It became a “home away from home” for us, a wonderful base from which we travelled to many family events plus explored various historical places that pepper the English countryside … English history and pageantry is quite incredible compared to the youthfulness of New Zealand.

During this time, news broke of the death of Queen Elizabeth II, and we were captivated by the way the public and the officials responded … the willingness to queue for hours and hours to honour this amazing woman who has reigned most of our lives; the pomp and ceremony, the colour and the pageantry were stunning as the nation grieved the death of an elderly lady.

A lady of such influence … her efforts have held together the Commonwealth, they have given Britain a sense of stability during some very turbulent times, even her death in Scotland may have been a final attempt by her to maintain the ‘United’ Kingdom and keep Scotland within the fold.

As I looked at her life and impact, as I listened to the Archbishop of Canterbury give his homily at her funeral, as I observed the depth of respect and feeling for her, I was once again struck by the reality that this lady was a woman of faith. Her personal faith in Jesus was clearly portrayed and influenced so many of her decisions and attitudes.

So much of my life is far removed from the wealth and pomp and ceremony she lived with, but her faith in Jesus as the Saviour of the world is where she and I share common ground. The impact of that faith is enormous as it brings the things we will once again celebrate in the leadup to Christmas … Hope, Love, Joy and Peace.

These are available to all… that’s the Christian message … and may the Queen’s death remind us of all the positive, life-giving impacts that faith in Jesus brings.