The funeral of Queen Elizabeth II is a momentous occasion but at its heart it is like any other Christian funeral. The congregation are asked to give thanks for all that was good in the life of the deceased, to console each other in their grief and to commend the departed person to God.
There’s a mixture here of dark and light, brightness and shade. When remembering a person’s life, thanksgiving is a positive act. In the midst of loss, consolation is an act of kindness. In the face of death, commending someone with prayer to God, the source of all life, is an act of faith and trust.
Bellringers are rightly called upon to mark the Monarch’s passing. Muffled or half-muffled ringing evokes the sadness of the occasion both for the immediate family, the Royal Family, and for the nation as a whole. Ringing muffled is something we ringers do regularly (at funerals, Remembrance Sunday and occasions of national mourning) but it is not frequent. Bells demand to be heard mostly in all their clarity and joy, ringing out far and wide. They are not naturally an instrument of restraint.
So, at Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral, giving thanks for her devoted life of service and entrusting her to her maker and redeemer are utterly positive acts, proclaiming that death is not the final word. That word belongs to life. Soon, Sunday by Sunday, the bells will be ringing out again, loud and clear, as the Church gathers across the nation each week to celebrate Jesus Christ risen from the dead and alive for evermore.
May Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II rest in peace and rise in glory.
Revd Canon BILL CROFT
(Retired)