The Queen’s death marks the end of an era. I think Sting put it succinctly for me: “I had a quiet weep for the Queen, I am sad for my country and what it has lost.”
It begs the question: what has the country (and the world) lost?
No matter what you think of monarchies and royalty, there’s little doubt that at the age of 96, Elizabeth’s reign as a global leader stands tall in the modern age.
However, from the little I know of her as a person, one thing stands out: she listened.
The age of information we live in is, in reality, just an age of noise. It’s difficult to hear the quiet voices among the brash ones, and disruption is dealt with by the noisiest leaders. And yet in Elizabeth we find a person who somehow had the good-old-fashioned common sense to just speak less and listen more.
So much so that when she spoke, everyone listened.
This idea is not new though. Many a poet and writer have had plenty to say about this before. There are days where I am particularly biased towards Albert Einstein’s thought in 1929: “If A is success in life, then A = x + y + z. Work is x, play is y, and z is keeping your mouth shut.”
I’ve been searching my soul for some landmarks recently. I’ve been trying to find the things that are true, that hold up against scrutiny and stand firm through the winds of change… I’ve been looking for some lighthouses. I suppose moving country forces that on a person.
The Queen’s faith stands out for me. Her messages at Christmas always seemed to hold gravitas for me that simplified the Christian faith and made sense, in a way that modern Christianity seems to have lost (again – those noisy voices).
Having moved to an Islamic nation, I’ve seen things about the Muslim faith I never would have had I stayed. I’ve witnessed discipline, devotion and a quiet order to things.
I’ll give you some accounts of mine.
– We hear the Imam on the loudspeaker calling out for prayer, five times each and every day, from our home. So much so that we can tell our children to finish up playing outside when they hear it as that’s the cue for bath and dinner. It creates routine and order.
– In the middle of a road race, I witnessed some 50-odd men halted – of their own accord – on the side of the road, eyes closed in prayer. It was just after 6 in the morning. My race partner that morning, himself from England, commented on the devotion.
People with a deep faith like that have a quiet way about them which never gets the headlines. But it’s the stuff that underpins faith in the first place: that there’s a better world, that people matter and that amongst it all there’s a vast amount of inexplicable magic and mystery.
That’s what I like about Queen Elizabeth’s faith.
“For me, the life of Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace… is an inspiration and an anchor in my life. A role model of reconciliation and forgiveness, he stretched out his hands in love, acceptance and healing. Christ’s example has taught me to seek to respect and value all people, of whatever faith or none.”
I like the Queen’s words here, particularly the use of “example”. She was a great example. And now that she’s gone, that’s what England and the world has lost.
