My more famous sister

From David King

I have two wonderful sisters, Katie and Fiona of whom I am very proud, but I have another sister and she is far, far more famous – and I was reminded of that last Monday.

Throughout the funeral service, the Queen was addressed by her title and the service was accompanied by the grandeur that marked her life: the crowds, the dignitaries, the soldiers and sailors, the trumpeters…

At the end though, in the last time she was referred to in the funeral, she was simply called “our sister.” This was more than simply a reference to the vital truth (beloved of Ecclesiastes) that we are all brought to the same state in death, whether mighty and grand, or weak and forgotten. It is an even more profound truth, that believers in Jesus are brothers and sisters to one another – irrespective of their rank and importance in the world’s eyes. We all had to set aside our claims to significance and goodness, get on our knees and repent of our rebellion, lift our eyes to our Saviour who died on the cross and place our faith in him. And in that moment, we became his family. That reference to “our sister” can’t be said by everyone, in fact for most who watched it was a throw away reference, but for us who have trusted in Jesus, it is real.

So just over a week ago, my sister died – but as Justin Welby said, “We’ll meet again”…

…or actually for the first time.