Leading for the Future
When Elizabeth became queen in 1952, just seven years after World War II, rationing was still in place in Britain. Ten pounds in 1952 had the equivalent purchasing power of about three hundred pounds today. UKGDP was under £16 million, whereas in 2021 it was £2.8 trillion. In 1952 only 14% of households owned a TV and there was only one channel. Radio was the main home entertainment medium, with The Goon Show being very popular. There were no satellites, no space race, and computers were very different. In 1952 The UNIVAC 1 computer weighed 7,257kg, used 5,000 vacuum tubes, could perform 1,900 operations per second and cost £100,000.00. 70 years later a typical laptop weighs about 2.5kg, has about 5.4 billion transistors in its processor, can perform 100 million operations per second and costs about £600. Some things have remained the same though: the Archers, Woman’s Hour, and Desert Island Discs were broadcast then and are still going today!
On her 21st birthday, five years before she became queen, the then Princess Elizabeth gave a speech that was broadcast to the Commonwealth on radio. In that speech she said, ‘I declare before you all that my whole life, whether it be long or short, shall be devoted to your service.’ And at 96, seventy-five years after that broadcast, she is still serving. As well as undertaking many national and international engagements, the Queen has links – as Royal Patron or President – with over 600 charities, military associations, professional bodies, and public service organisations.
Jesus said, ‘The kings of the Gentiles lord it over them; and those in authority over them are called benefactors. But not so with you; rather the greatest among you must become like the youngest, and the leader like one who serves.’ (Luke 22:25-27)
The last 70 years have been times of extraordinary change, and the pace of change seems to be increasing. The wars, conflicts, famines, COVID, monkeypox, rising prices, political scandals, and everything else we see in the news media, can make the future seem bleak.
In her speech at the beginning of COP26 last year the Queen said, ‘For more than 70 years, I have been lucky to meet and to know many of the world’s leaders. And I have perhaps come to understand a little about what makes them special. It has sometimes been observed that what leaders do for their people today is government and politics. But what they do for tomorrow, that is statesmanship.’
The responsibility to work for a better future for everyone doesn’t just belong to those that lead our nation. Each of us, in the areas that we have influence (at home, at work, in school and in our community), can lead in ways that build hope for tomorrow.
In her 1978 Christmas broadcast, the Queen said, ‘The context of the lives of the next generation is being set, here and now, not so much by the legacy of science or wealth or political structure that we shall leave behind us, but by the example of our attitudes and behaviour to one another, and by trying to show unselfish, loving, and creative concern for those less fortunate than ourselves.’
And that is still true today… the future will be shaped by the example we set in our attitudes and behaviour, and by the compassion we show for those in need.
I’m inspired by the many acts of generosity we see in our communities; from raising money for Ukraine, to welcoming refugees, to providing food for the foodbank, to being there for a friend in need, to giving time to volunteer in the many charities in the area that look to make a difference, Any act of kindness not only has an immediate impact, but it also shapes how we see ourselves and shapes the world for the generations to come. Serving others isn’t just about responding to an immediate need, it’s investing in the world for the future.
At the end of that radio broadcast in 1947, having devoted her life to the service of the Commonwealth, the then Princess Elizabeth finished with, ‘But I shall not have strength to carry out this resolution alone unless you join in it with me, as I now invite you to do: I know that your support will be unfailingly given. God help me to make good my vow, and God bless all of you who are willing to share in it.’
As we celebrate and give thanks for 70 years of the reign of Queen Elizabeth, I pray that we would continue to take inspiration from her sense of duty and service, that we would rededicate ourselves in service of others and the world, and that God would help us to make good that vow.