Read Time: 2 minutes 30 seconds
The first Christmas came and passed since Queen Elizabeth died. Over the last couple of months, people from around the world have sat at the edge of their seats, eagerly awaiting to see King Charles III’s approach to defender of the faith.
In his first Christmas address to the nation as king, he announced he would continue the Queen’s philanthropic work, but what he failed to bring clarity to is his stance on a multi-faith approach to his position.
In his speech, King Charles addressed his mother’s love for the Christmas carol, ‘O Little Town of Bethlehem.’ The carol reads, “O little town of Bethlehem, how still we see thee lie! Above thy deep and dreamless sleep the silent stars go by. Yet in thy dark streets shineth the everlasting light; the hopes and fears of all the years are met in thee tonight.”
Charles says, “My mother’s belief in the power of that light was an essential part of her faith in God but also her faith in people, and it is one I share with my whole heart.”
He explains the supernatural, transcending light as something each person can carry, no matter what they believe in. He referenced his visit to the Church of the Nativity where he shared a moment of reflection before God, honoring the birth of Jesus.
Despite his acknowledgment of Christianity, his speech started to drift further from the truths in the Bible.
“While Christmas is of course a Christian celebration, the power of light overcoming darkness is celebrated across the boundaries of faith and belief. So whatever faith you have, or if you have none, it is in this life-giving light, and with true humility that lies in our service to others, that I believe we can find hope for the future.”
As followers of Jesus, we know those who believe Jesus died on the cross for their sins and rose from the grave three days later have the ability to be vessels of the Holy Spirit. John 8:12 says, “Again, Jesus spoke to them saying, ‘I am the light of the world. Whoever follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.'”
The Christmas carol that Queen Elizabeth adored was highlighting this very truth. In the darkness that creeps throughout the earth, there is an Everlasting Light where your hopes and fears can rest, and His name is Jesus.
In a recent, Charisma News article, R.T. Kendall addressed the sobering reality that Christianity is now a minority in England and Wales. This hits home for Kendall who spent 25 years as the senior minister at Westminster Chapel in London.
“No state in Europe has such a religious set-up as we do in terms of law and public policy, while at the same time having such a non-religious population,” Kendall says.
Despite the falling away from Christianity, and the essential goal of King Charles’ role as defender of that faith, he has not stepped forward in the least to lead people to Jesus.
In a Fox News interview, Queen Elizabeth’s former chaplain Gavin Ashenden addresses the assault against Christianity across the United Kingdom. He questions, “What does a Christian king do about that? Does a Christian king save Christianity? Does he become the defender of the faith, which is what his title really is?”
The 13-percentage point drop in Christianity over the last decade doesn’t appear to be raising any alarms for King Charles. As Ashenden importantly notes, “If you don’t defend Christianity today, we’ll lose it from this country.” {eoa}
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Shelby Lindsay is an assistant editor for Charisma Media.
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