Respect, Honour and Reverence

There was never any doubt in my mind as to the respect our Queen Elizabeth II had for her people. In these past ten days of mourning I have seen that respect reflected back to her in the faces of the people she served so loyally. Respect takes many forms. The root of the word respect means to look back or even look twice or look again. This revering, to literally stand in awe of, is the accumulated respect of millions upon millions of people of the United Kingdom together with the high regard people from around the world have for The Queen.

Many things have become more evident than ever before. Her faith that seemed always to sustain her. Her unwavering ability to always resist self pity from ever taking a foothold in her life and disallowing any hint of bitterness which always defiles those around it. In the past ten days and in the previous 96 year snot one person has made a single claim against her Majesty. This too seems a most remarkable thing to me. Tomorrow our Queen will be interred in the biggest ceremony of any kind the four nations of the United Kingdom of Great Britain have ever witnessed. Our united sadness and sense of loss will be felt throughout the world and then too in heaven itself.

King Charles is already proving equal to the task. Hundreds of world leaders, dignatories and friends to the UK are now within these shores tonight. The Queens unifying abilities for her 70 years of loyal service has now passed to him for him to carry the torch. Supported by Her Majesty the Queen Consort, Prince William and Princess Kathrine, I feel a certainty of hope for all things. Before honour comes humility, it is said. This then is my hope for the future as we all bend our knee to a new and unfolding unknown, knowing that there is the certainty of grace in our humility.