Beyond the Funeral

There has been (and will yet be) a tremendous amount of media coverage of the passing of Queen Elizabeth II.  And rightly so—to have served in public life for 70 years, reigned longer than any other monarch in British history, and been a constant advocate in the UK and beyond for peace and freedom … it’s remarkable.

But amidst the pomp and ceremony surrounding the Queen’s passing, much attention has focused on the royal family:  how’s it going between William and Harry, and Catherine and Megan?

Little attention, however, has been given to the Monarch’s role as “Defender of the Faith and Supreme Governor of the Church of England.”  Ever since Henry VIII renounced allegiance to the Pope, the Sovereign has sworn to “maintain and preserve inviolably the settlement of the Church of England, and the doctrine, worship, discipline, and government thereof, as by law established in England” (royal.uk).  To an American accustomed to “separation of church and state,” the British situation is bewildering.  I won’t attempt to assess their “establishment” of religion and church, but I do notice that this royal role does not interest the media.

Further, consider how the Queen’s death prompts everyone to look back on her life and look ahead at a world without her.  Here again, something’s being missed:  I’m not hearing an interest in her status now, beyond death; the sweeping disregard of her situation today, and for eternity—the silence is deafening.

Not that I’m surprised.  Commercial media transmits what people want to see and hear (and which, thus, is profitable).  But maybe the Lord is up to something else here; maybe we should pray that millions of people the world over would be struck at the bluntness of death and would cry out to their Maker, “Surely there must be some­thing more!”  Indeed, there must be, and is!  “Lord, cause the funeral of the Queen to move many to look up to you, in Christ, at the cross, and cry out, ‘Lord, save me!’”