Bishop pays tribute to HM Queen

The Bishop of Repton, Humphrey Southern, pays tribute to HM The Queen as an example of “Duty” and Service” in the February edition of Our Diocese, which is distributed around churches and parishes across the region.

Bishop Southern says that neither word have a popular ring about them but the Diamond Jubilee is a timely reminder of their benefits: “Duty andService are words that are not very fashionable or inspiring to modern ears. Service often implies drudgery and the menial while duty is – well – dutiful, something of a bore and motivated more by obligation than eagerness or enthusiasm. In our day we look for more fulfilment – more of a sense of achievement – than is implied by these concepts as we think about what gets us (as we say) “out of bed in the morning”.”

The Bishop pays tribute to The Queen’s service and witness  which “certainly offers an alternative to much of the self-interested vanity that so often seems to motivate others in public life”.

He adds: “The round of Maundy distributed (as we saw in Derby a couple of years ago), of Christmas broadcasts, of Parliaments opened, of politicians, diplomats and other officials (including bishops) interviewed and encouraged, of tours undertaken … all of this (and more) demonstrates a powerful sense of the importance of duty and service, life led and energy expended to serve the interests of a whole people and nation.”