PASTOR DAVE’S MUSINGS FROM THE HEARTLAND

September 18, 2022

LONG DID SHE REIGN

The school in the small town of Cortland, Ohio, I attended from the second grade through the tenth grade was committed to helping the students learn about the world beyond the village’s boundaries.  One of my teachers had us learn the names of the president, vice-president, members of the cabinet, Ohio’s two senators, the local representative to congress, and the members of the Supreme Court.  Another teacher had this picture of Neuschwanstein Castle in Germany which invited me to come and visit.  I made it there in 2010.

When I was in school television was in its early days.  Many people did not have a set to connect with the world beyond.  In 1953 the school had an all school gathering to watch on television sets in the gym the inauguration of President Eisenhower.  Later that year, we came together to watch the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II.

The assembly to watch the coronation started in me a lifelong interest in England and the British royalty.  November of 2007 Diane and I took a tour of England.   Our time in Great Britain started with a few free days in London.  We used one of them to visit Windsor castle. Another day we visited the Methodist building where the first meeting of United Nations was held.

As I have been watching the coverage of the death of Queen Elizabeth II, I have recognized many of settings for the commentary as places I have visited.  The Book of Proverbs says “Train children in the right way, and when old, they will not stray (Proverbs 22:6).”  An assembly when I was young sparked in me an interest in England and the British royalty which continues today.  This interest has been bracketed by the life and death of Queen Elizabeth II.

Tributes to the late queen have come from all over the world.  Very often mentioned are her attributes that allowed her to successfully adapt to the changing world over the last 70 years.  During her reign she had 15 prime ministers from Winston Churchill to Liz Truss.  Because of her not taking positions on political issues, she was able to be a sounding board for each of the 15 ministers even though they came from different political positions.  Of all the challenges she faced, she never muffed one.

Queen Elizabeth II is an excellent example of servant leadership.  In Mark Jesus says, “You know that among the Gentiles those whom they recognize as their rulers lord it over them, and their great ones are tyrants over them.  But it is not so among you; but whoever wishes to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wishes to be first among you must be slave of all (Mark 10:42b-44)  Queen Elizabeth II could well have made her reign about herself.  Instead, she made it about others and the British Commonwealth.

The school I attended in Cortland, Ohio, did well when they decided to have an all school assembly to watch the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II.  They gave us an interface to the next 70 years of history and a role model of servant leadership.  Oh yes, I still strive to know the names of the president, vice-president, cabinet members, Indiana’s two senators, my representative to congress, and members of the Supreme Court.