My oldest son and I watched the movie Queen together.  I told him how I remembered Princess Di's death and how all of us grieved for her.  She was one who touched people's lives because she reached out to people everywhere.  She reached out to others in a way we had never seen a royal family do before and her death caused sadness all over the world.

It was interesting to see the way the queen was portrayed in the movie.  She was one who always had to put duty first and emotions second.  So continuing to take care of business while the world openly grieved for Princess Di was a natural response for the queen.  Through tactful advice from the prime minister, Tony Blair, and countless headlines, the queen saw that her country expected a public demonstration of the royal family's grief over the loss of an ex-daughter-in-law,  ex-wife, and mother of two royal children.  Seeing that tradition had gotten in the way of meeting the public's needs, the queen embraced the change and publicly spoke of the royal families' feelings, albeit difficult.  Then  she actually went to the streets where a public display of affection for Princess Di was ravishly displayed by thousands of flower bouquets.  The most touching moment was when the queen offered to place a young child's bouquet of flowers on the heap for her ex-daughter-in-law, only to find this affection was meant for her instead. 

Because the Church is called to be the Bride of Christ, I saw the movie Queen as a picture of the Church.  Presently at the side of the King of Kings in the heavenlies, we are a royal family.  Together, the Church is the Queen.  Yet the Church has been following traditions that has not allowed her to be the Arm of the Lord who reaches out into communities and touches the lives of the poor, needy, and oppressed.  She has been available for formal services, yet people around her suffer, especially the lost who do not like her formality and refuse to come to her.

But I believe the Church as a whole recognizes that her former stance is not working and must be altered to better meet the needs of the people.  I believe a shift is coming to the Church as she begins to reach out to the people around her and become Jesus to the ones she comes in contact with.  This happens as individuals in the Church each realize that he/she is called to be a pastor, prophet, teacher, evangelist, or apostle wherever he/she is at.  In other words, the Church is reaching out into the streets via its members whose lives are lived out on the streets every moment except for the couple of hours they spend in Church.  The Church is coming to the workplace, the shopping centers, and the homes of its community. 

After watching the movie Queen, we watched the queen give her holiday address on You-Tube.  I cried as I watched her talk about how Jesus Christ came to the earth as a baby in a needy family.  Like the innkeeper who extended himself to provide a place for this family, we need to extend ourselves to those in need around us.  What a beautiful message! 

The queen's Christmas message indicated that she has fully embraced the departure of tradition to see the needs of her people and encourages others to look around, too.  I believe she is truly a picture of what the Church will become, an institution that looks to the people around her and meets their needs instead of expecting the people around her to meet her needs.

After all, when God walked the earth in the human form of Jesus Christ, He changed the lives of all He came in contact with.  Through Jesus Christ, who did nothing except what He saw His Father doing, people were  healed, delivered, and empowered.  Through Him, we see the lives God wishes for His people to have.  It is never His will that anyone should suffer, that anyone should be lost, or that anyone should perish.  God's will for His people is for us to become like His Son, saving, delivering, healing, and ministering to each person we come in contact with.

When Jesus truly becomes the head of His Church, in other words, when our minds are fully on Him, we will do what we see Him doing.  And we will be given the power He was given to accomplish what He did - and even more!