Quiet faith kept the Queen grounded
As the world mourns the loss of one of the most beloved leaders of modern times today, many may not realize the deep, quiet faith that kept Queen Elizabeth grounded as a leader, inspired her accountability before God, and influenced a nation. The Queen lived to 96 years old and was not shy about her faith.
The Queen spoke often and publicly of her faith, the teachings of Jesus, and her own conscious awareness of the things of God throughout her lifetime and specifically in her Christmas messages to the nation.
“Many will have been inspired by Jesus’ simple but powerful teaching: love God and love thy neighbor as thyself – in other words, treat others as you would like them to treat you. His great emphasis was to give spirituality a practical purpose,” she shared during her Christmas 2000 address.
She also had a way of including those who may not share the same faith but nonetheless sense a deeper purpose and meaning that is innate in the heart of every person.
“Whether we believe in God or not, I think most of us have a sense of the spiritual, that recognition of a deeper meaning and purpose in our lives, and I believe that this sense flourishes despite the pressures of our world,” she continued in the Christmas address.
“To many of us our beliefs are of fundamental importance. For me, the teachings of Christ and my own personal accountability before God provide a framework in which I try to lead my life. I, like so many of you, have drawn great comfort in difficult times from Christ’s words and example,” the Queen shared.
Her stance for her faith inspired the nation and was acknowledged by Billy Graham in his book, Just As I Am.
Though England is known for its Christian roots, the Queen had a way of bringing the conversation into the mainstream, while not isolating her supporters, a true gift of a stateswoman and a bold stance to acknowledge Christ before others.
“I believe that the Christian message, in the words of a familiar blessing, remains profoundly important to us all:
“Go forth into the world in peace,
be of good courage,
hold fast that which is good,
render to no man evil for evil,
strengthen the faint-hearted,
support the weak,
help the afflicted,
honour all men.”
It is a simple message of compassion… and yet as powerful as ever today, two thousand years after Christ’s birth.”
