The Queen, At 80

Today is Her Majesty the Queen’s 80th birthday. There has been much attention given by the media to her workload, and to the fact that she will never abdicate.

Personally, I like the fact that our Head-of-State is unelected: that she did not come to her position through courting the backing of powerful interest-groups who demand something in return, but as an accident of birth – the elder daughter of the younger brother of a king who abdicated; born not in a palace but (just like my own son) in a private family home.

But I’m not really interested in whether you are pro-monarchy, anti-monarchy, or ambivalent in regards to the monarchy. What I am interested in is the observation that a significant proportion of the Queen’s work is to honour other people for the contribution they have made to their community. Some are famous celebrities; most will never be heard of beyond the community they have quietly served over many years, bringing positive transformation – ushering-in the kingdom of God, whether or not they themselves would claim to act in his service.

If that were a significant proportion of my work, I wouldn’t want to retire either.

And, then again, why shouldn’t it be a significant proportion of my work? your work? anyone’s work?


The Queen , honouring others