Blessed are the poor in spirit?
Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are those who mourn,
for they will be comforted.
Blessed are the meek,
for they will inherit the earth.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they will be filled.
Blessed are the merciful,
for they will be shown mercy.
Blessed are the pure in heart,
for they will see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they will be called children of God.
Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. (Matthew 5:3-10)
I had begun to reflect upon these verses before the news came through to me of the Queen’s death.
This is a time for mourning, the passing of a great Queen. She was someone who had a strong, devout, faith, who was dutiful and dignified and a constant source of pride for the nation. We may feel now ‘poor in spirit’ and it is right to do so, but we can take comfort in the fact that she believed she was going to a better place. There is time for everything and this is a time as a nation to celebrate the life of someone who remained a servant to her country right up to the very end of her life.
We can wonder why the ‘poor in spirit’ are blessed? I think it is because when all is stripped away from us we see more clearly the true values that matter, that shine through. Our beloved queen cared deeply for the nation, and she went out of her way to visit more countries than any other monarch. She loved her own family deeply, but never faltered in her duty to the crown and the nation she served. So, now with her passing we face the end of an era, and we mourn her as is right to do so.
When something we love is gone, it can give us a moment to reflect upon our lives. We can ask ourselves, what really matters to us? Perhaps we can do that this week as we take stock, look at the bigger picture and come together in our grief.
Those who are poor in spirit or in material things understand their need. The Queen’s death gives us a chance to take a moment to reflect on our own lives and to see the deeper vein of love running through this country, to embrace the qualities she held dear such as duty, kindness and love. Her death takes the focus away from our own worries for a moment, as we pay tribute to the longest reigning monarch in British history and celebrate her life and her impact, not just on this country but on the whole world.
I am sure we, as a church and a nation, mourn the loss of our Head and Sovereign. Needless to say, her own family mourn the huge gap her death leaves for them, as a mother, grandmother and great grandmother. With them, we can take comfort from the fact that the Queen, who lived a long and full life, herself believed that this life was not the end but the beginning of a journey to an everlasting life with God.
In some senses her duty now is ‘finished’ and she can join all those who have passed over to the other side, where there is no more death, no more mourning and no more crying.
May she rest in peace and rise in glory!
AMEN!
Helen
|
The e-Bulletin is being sent out early this week to ensure that everyone is aware of the changes to events over the next couple of days.
