Only one reign

As the Queen's Diamond Jubilee approaches, I find myself thinking about the passage of time. I was born in coronation year. George VI had died and Elizabeth II was officially reigning, though still five months away from being crowned (you can do the sums). I have therefore only "seen" the reign of one monarch. I have no idea whether I shall ever see another. In earthly terms, I am content to remain under the rule of this one.

Maybe someone will calculate how many people so far have been born and have died within the reign of this one Head of State. The story of many of them would be regarded as tragic, because to die under sixty is to live far less than the average lifespan today. When Queen Victoria's corresponding Jubilee occurred in 1897, many would have lived out the full expected span of their natural lives during the course of her reign.

In a way, you could say those who only live through one reign have missed out. Others can boast, "I have seen two (or three or four) monarchs come and go". But isn't it reassuring to have stability? When a king or queen dies, there is a bleak period, a time of uncertainty. At one time the government and all civil servants had to give up office and be re-elected or re-employed, though this is no longer the case.

It is good to know that in the spiritual realm there is eternal stability. There are no awkward gaps and questions about successors. "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever" (Hebrews 13:8).

There is a little-known verse in Henry Francis Lyte's famous hymn "Praise, my soul, the King of heaven" which goes like this:

Frail as summer’s flower we flourish;

blows the wind, and it is gone;

but while mortals rise and perish

God endures unchanging on.

Praise Him! praise Him!

praise the high eternal One.

But if that makes us look disposable, ponder the previous more well-known verse:

Father-like, He tends and spares us,

well our feeble frame He knows;

in His hands He gently bears us,

rescues us from all our foes:

Praise Him! praise Him!

widely as His mercy flows.

Jesus, the unchanging One, showed love and care for those whom society thought of as throw-away people. Call out to Him today in faith and trust and He will turn His face to you.