Like billions of others, I watched the state funeral of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. It was a moving ceremony and a fitting tribute for this beloved follower of Jesus Christ.
As I watched, my heart was filled with gratitude to God for her steadfast service and for her unshakable faith—and I was reminded of Jesus’ powerful words to Martha as she mourned the death of her brother Lazarus. “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die” (John 11:25–26, ESV).
When my father passed away four years ago, I was honoured to receive a condolence letter from Her Majesty. They had an unexpected friendship—the sovereign of the United Kingdom and head of the Commonwealth and a farmer’s son from North Carolina—but their relationship showed the bond that all believers have in the Lord Jesus Christ.
Their friendship began in 1955, shortly after the Queen and Prince Philip watched the broadcast of my father’s Good Friday message from Glasgow. They invited him to speak before the Royal Family at Windsor Castle, and a few weeks later, my father delivered a sermon to them in their private chapel.
The Queen was a woman of sincere faith, and she found a steadfast friend in my father. They met at least a dozen times over the next 30 years in the UK, the White House, and California, and my father rarely shared much about their meetings. When asked, he would respond, “Good manners do not permit one to discuss the details of a private visit with Her Majesty, but I can say that I judge her to be a woman of rare modesty and character.”
My father made a pledge to remember Queen Elizabeth and her family every day in his prayers, and he greatly appreciated how she often talked about Jesus Christ during her public addresses. In her 2014 Christmas message, she said, “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.”
During one of my father’s visits to Great Britain, the Queen asked for his opinion on a message she was working on. “To illustrate a point, she wanted to toss a stone into a pond to show how the ripples went out farther and farther. She asked me to come and listen to her practice the speech by the pond and give my impressions, which I did,” my father recalled.
When Queen Elizabeth delivered that speech during her Christmas broadcast in 1975,
she reminded listeners, “We are celebrating a birthday—the birthday of a Child born nearly
2,000 years ago. … His simple message of love has been turning the world upside down ever since.”
The Queen then urged everyone to follow the teachings of Jesus Christ and love their
neighbours. It was a reminder that our actions can change lives. “If you throw a stone into
a pool, the ripples go on spreading outwards. A big stone can cause waves, but even the
smallest pebble changes the whole pattern of the water. Our daily actions are like those ripples; each one makes a difference, even the smallest.”
The ripples of Her Majesty’s reign touched all of us. Her integrity and steadfastness shaped the shores of the UK and the hearts of its people. She was a friend to my father, but more importantly, she was a true friend of the Christian faith. Her passing will touch us all.
As millions across the United Kingdom came together to mourn the great loss of Her Majesty, we deployed crisis-trained chaplains to England and Scotland to offer comfort and prayer for those who were grieving. It’s not hard to find reports of the countless people she impacted during her reign on Earth, but I wanted to send you some stories of the lives God has changed forever through her death and the recent memorial events.
I am profoundly grateful for Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, and I am confident her commitment to God and her dedicated service to the United Kingdom will have an enduring impact for generations to come.
I hope you will rejoice with me over what the Lord has done, and I pray that Her Majesty’s example will encourage many more to live faithfully for Him—until they, too, hear the words, “Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master” (Matthew 25:23, ESV).
Thank you for your heart for the Gospel.
May God richly bless you,
Franklin Graham | President
BILLY GRAHAM RAPID RESPONSE TEAM
Chaplains See Decisions for Christ During The Queen’s Funeral
On 19th September, billions of people around the world watched the funeral of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. The late Queen herself planned the details of her funeral, which was built around her deep faith in God and the hope that can be found in Him alone.
Chaplains with the Billy Graham Rapid Response Team (BG-RRT) shared the Good News of Jesus Christ before and after the funeral. Though people came to Hyde Park and Windsor Castle with the intention of paying their final respects, many left forever changed as they surrendered to the same God the Queen served during her life on Earth.
A LIFE CHANGED IN THE EARLY MORNING
Shortly after sunrise, Caroline* noticed the BG-RRT chaplain uniforms from a distance and approached a chaplain to ask for directions of where to watch the Queen’s procession. Having come to London from Holland to pay her respects to Her Majesty, she was anxious to be in the right location for the start of the funeral.
After the chaplain shared the directions, the two began to talk about the Queen’s life. As
the conversation continued, Jason told Caroline about God and His love for her. That’s when another chaplain walked over and joined the conversation.
When Caroline described her life as a mess, the other chaplain, James, shared the story of Nicodemus from John 3 and followed it by an all important question. “Would you like to ask Jesus into your heart?” James asked. Caroline didn’t hesitate to say yes.
Standing in Hyde Park, Caroline prayed aloud with James to repent and put her faith in Jesus Christ, mere hours before the Queen’s funeral. And before leaving to see the procession, she told the chaplains, “I feel wonderful.”
MUSLIM MAN FINDS FAITH IN JESUS CHRIST
As thousands began leaving Hyde Park after the funeral ended, a chaplain was standing near Ahmad* and the two began to talk.
They spoke about the Queen and the mention of God’s love at the funeral service. Ahmad then shared that he was a Muslim.
The chaplain shared the Good News of Jesus Christ with him using our Gospel booklet “Steps to Peace With God.” As they went through it, Ahmad listened closely and became more excited as each page turned.
“For us to be in Heaven with God—as the Queen is—we have to accept Jesus as our
personal Saviour,” the chaplain told him. “And it’s not because of our works, because we
cannot be good enough on our own. We have to ask God to help us. Just as the Queen asked God to help her.”
When the chaplain asked if he’d like to accept Jesus Christ into his life, Ahmad was
more than ready and excitedly said yes!
The two prayed aloud together in Jesus’ Name as Ahmad committed his life to
Jesus Chris in repentance and faith.
Throughout the nearly two-week deployment across the UK, BG-RRT chaplains were able to pray with more than 700 people, witnessed numerous decisions for Christ, and were part of untold numbers of seeds planted. The mark of this historical event will live in people’s hearts for a long time, and we are grateful for how the Lord has used this ministry to shine the light of Christ amidst a dark yet solemn time.
You can make a difference
God works through people like you to change the world by the power of the Gospel.
Rapid Response Team |