July 24, 2008
I was up at 5:30 a.m. today for a quick breakfast and then off for what
the programme calls our London Day. We
drove 2 hours or so by coach through the heavy London traffic to Whitehall
Place where, under the leadership and direction of the Archbishop of Canterbury
joined by faith leaders form England and ecumenical partners, a sea of purple
marched through the core of London to Lambeth Palace. We wanted to raise the profile of the
Millennium Development Goals (MDG’s) and to call the government leaders who
signed on to keep their promise. With
the Micah Challenge (http://www.micahchallenge.org/)
taking a lead for the churches here, we sought to draw attention to the issues
of child poverty, disease, gender equality, environment, education etc. that
the Millennium Development Goals seek to address.
The facts are, that while some progress is being made, few governments
are passionately committed to doing what they said they would do. This march is
made all the more significant when one realizes that world Anglican leaders
from the wealthiest nations to the very poorest nations joined hands in
solidarity, in a cause common to each. (If you don’t know much about the
Millennium Development Goals (MDG’s) you owe it to yourself to learn. See http://www.un.org/millenniumgoals/) We held placards, held hands, sang and
marched. May the march inspire and
encourage people of faith and goodwill to meet the MDG’s. Can we do any less?
After we all gathered at Lambeth Palace, the Archbishop introduced the
Prime Minister of England and the Anglican Observer to the United Nations. I cannot recall a time when I heard a leader
from the Western World speak as passionately as the Prime Minister did on the
massive issues the world faces. Interrupted often by spontaneous applause, the PM committed his
government to the MDG’s and himself to challenge his colleagues in other countries
to do the same. We have the capability
as a world community to do all of this if we can get out of our self-serving
and self-protecting attitudes and work for God’s people everywhere. Let’s pray that we do.
After lunch at Lambeth Palace and a time in the gardens, we headed to
Buckingham Palace, that icon of England, for tea at the invitation of the
Queen. Security was tight as crowds
pressed up against the exterior gate taking pictures as the purple people and
their spouses made their way into the inner courtyard, through the entrance of
the palace and out into the magnificent gardens. We admired the long staircase, the beautiful
portraits of royal family members of the past, incredible china cabinets and
indeed the efficient and polite staff who welcomed us. Yesterday we were told some 7,500 people
joined Her Majesty for Tea and today perhaps 1,500. The size of the gardens made it feel like an
intimate gathering and in fact it was most relaxing. Spouses enjoyed a walk around the lake, a
visit to the magnificent gardens and a stroll on the well-manicured lawns. Tea or iced coffee (my choice) along with
cucumber sandwiches or raspberry tarts, were available under canvas and the
staff circulated with water on this unusually warm afternoon.
The Entrance of the Queen’s Guard signalled that Her Majesty was about
to arrive. Crowds gathered in
anticipation and precisely on schedule. The Queen and Prince Philip arrived on
the top steps of the large patio and one of the two bands for this occasion
played `”God Save the Queen.” Then Archbishop
of Canterbury and the Archbishop of York presented a few couples, chosen
because they represent the Communion in some manner, to the Queen and the
Prince. Karen and I were extremely
honoured to be among this group and we enjoyed a personal moment with this
remarkable couple.
The Queen and Prince made their way through the orderly crowd, stopping
to speak with a few people, showing genuine interest in each one. The Royal
Couple made their way into the Royal Tent where they spoke with the Primates of
the Church about issues facing the Communion while others gathered in groups or
wandered around the property. Afterwards, one person noted how well the Queen was versed in the
Windsor Report and the concerns of the community.
I also spoke at length with a bishop from a diocese that desperately
needs a medical clinic. He tells me that
if the church can build a clinic the government will pay for the staffing of
the clinic. Maybe that is something we
could make happen. I will try to gather more information.
It was a delight to share this experience at Buckingham Palace with a
number of Board Members of the Compass Rose Society.
+Philip Poole
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