Death of Queen Elizabeth II: Amid all the grief there are lessons to be learned from the faith of our much-loved monarch

Whilst the world must go on, the events of the past few days – with the death of Queen Elizabeth II and the Accession of a new king, Charles III – have upturned normal life for many.

This is only to be expected. The death of our longest-lived monarch, much loved and respected, has created a hole in the emotional life of our country. There are very few who have not expressed a sense of shock and loss. The death has affected all of us.

In this, the rituals of grief and loss and the words of faith about life and death are crucially important. We, like any who have lost somebody, need that time to grieve, reflect, and take time to place ourselves before Christ’s love.

We heard of our Queen’s commitment to God and her people in a promise 75 years ago, “that my whole life whether it be short or long be devoted to your service”.

But she also knew that she must ask and receive that assistance from others, saying in that April 21, 1947 address: “But I shall not have strength to carry out this resolution alone unless you join in with me, as I now invite you to do: I know that your support will be unfailingly given.”

It is striking how in her words we can hear those of Christ, as told to us by St Luke, of somebody prepared to be that seeker of the little and lost, to go the extra mile, of defying opinion to reach out to others.

In the parable of the merciful father and the prodigal son of Luke 15, many of us will make some very direct links with the example of mercy she has definitely shown.

This is not to make of her a saint above us, but to reflect that in this time of grief her life exemplifies, writ large, what so many of us also do in other ways to live out that commandment to love God and our neighbour as ourselves.

I see in my mind’s eye the Queen year in year out serving us tirelessly.

Faults she had, for all of us mortals sin and fail. But we hear in her life the voice of Christ, who wipes away tears, who forgives sin, who before we have even time to repent has embraced us in merciful love.

In her 2000 Christmas broadcast, she shared with us this: “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.”

I, and I hope you, will take both comfort and encouragement from her, that our faith can be lived out in public, that professing Christ will help others find him, and that the Gospel is ever-new.

In thanking her for all she gave, we also praise the One she now journeys towards, who – like the father in our Gospel parable – runs to meet her, as will also happen for us when we finally go home.

Let these words from her Christmas broadcast of 2014 help us as we live out this Gospel of reconciliation: “For me, the life of Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace, whose birth we celebrate today, 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.”

Houston McKelvey, Dean of Belfast, 2001-2011 (and operator of the website www.churchnewsireland.org)