Why the King’s Christmas speech concerns me
The New Year is a time of reflection and resolution. At the end of a tough year for many people – and it seems a particularly chaotic and depressing year in the UK – it’s good for us to consider the bigger national picture, as each of us reflects on our own personal circumstances.
Perhaps nothing indicates the changes that are occurring at the top of our society more than the new King’s Christmas speech. For King Charles this was a tough ask. His late mother’s Christmas speech to the nation was for most people in the UK a normal highlight of Christmas. I remember as a child how Christmas dinner always had to be over by 3pm so that we could all go through and watch the Queen’s speech. In her later years, it struck me how Christian some of them were.
So how would King Charles fare on his first? In terms of production quality, tone and empathy, it hit the nail on the head. Rather than sit behind a desk, King Charles stood in front of the camera, and spoke with warmth and empathy about his late mother: “Christmas is a particularly poignant time for all of us who have lost loved ones. We feel their absence at every familiar turn of the season and remember them in each cherished tradition.”
The speech was short – only 617 words – but those 617 words revealed a great deal about our new King and about the direction that Britain is going as the New Year ushers in a new age. And what it revealed should be profoundly disturbing for any Christian because the head of the Church of England does not know what his own church teaches, who Christ is or what the Bible says.
The general theme was about faith in the power of the light. But who or what is the light? According to King Charles, it is the light that shines out of every religion. It is the light that shines out of every human heart: “It is a belief in the extraordinary ability of each person to touch, with goodness and compassion, the lives of others, and to shine a light in the world around them. This is the essence of our community and the very foundation of our society.”
It’s such a naïve view of the world – one that is far easier to say from the comforts of privilege, than it is to say from the suffering of the poor. If this is the foundation of our society then it is a weak foundation that will fall apart at the first hint of evil and suffering.
In this ‘inner light’ world, what religion you are does not matter, because as the King informed us “while Christmas is, of course, a Christian celebration, the power of light overcoming darkness is celebrated across the boundaries of faith and belief.”
He went on to tell us of this new humanist religion he is espousing: “So, whatever faith you have, or whether you have none, it is in this life-giving light, and with the true humility that lies in our service to others, that I believe we can find hope for the future.”
That’s not what Christ said. I would suggest that before King Charles next tells us what we are supposed to believe, he read John 1:1-19. The light shines in the darkness and the darkness has not overcome it because Jesus is the light. The light is not the inner light that shines in every human being. Even such a phenomenal religious figure as John the Baptist was not the light – he was just a witness to the light. Christ is the light who gives light to everyone, but people reject him and so continue in the darkness.
The truth is, you can’t have the light that gives light to every person without Christ. The religion of the head of the Church of England is not the faith of the Bible. Nor is it the faith of Christ. Instead It is the faith of Hallmark humanism.
I was surprised to find that the Catholic Herald summed it up best. The newspaper wrote: “If Charles is really going to shift from being a Christian Protestant monarch, saving the schismatic Protestant establishment from the dangers of Catholicism, spiritual and political, into a 21st century religious relativism, this is no small thing. It is not even a change of gear or shift of identity within a faith. It is the abandonment of that faith. Perennialism is not Christianity. Multi-faith observance is not Christianity. The shibboleths of multi-culturalism are not Christianity.”
What the King has done is incredibly dangerous for both the country and the monarchy. The Queen was one of the last civic leaders who recognised that the foundations of the United Kingdom are built on Christianity. If the foundations are destroyed, who shall stand? But this is also a disastrous step for the monarchy. Christianity is not founded on the monarchy but the monarchy is founded on Christianity. King Charles is sowing the seed that will eventually lead to the end of monarchy in the UK.
It was intriguing to compare the new King’s first Christmas speech with the Guardian columnist, Polly Toynbee’s annual Christmas rant against Christianity: “So, Christmas comes with good cheer, enjoy it. But know that it comes with religious baggage we should shed.” She has an ally in the King. Our new religion will be the pseudo-pagan progressivism championed by Toynbee and in effect endorsed by King Charles.
This King’s speech did indeed herald a new age for the monarchy and for the UK – a dark age. But Christians need not despair, not least because ultimately it is Christ who is on the throne. It is Christ who is the King of kings. And it is Christ before whom all knees will bow – whether king or pauper.
In an extraordinary article in The Australian, their foreign editor, Greg Sheridan, reminded us of how the early Church thrived and flourished in the pagan and hostile environment we are returning to. If you wish to read the whole article, then Greg gave me permission to reproduce it here. It is well worth reading, but I leave you with this taster:
“When Jesus died on the cross the apostles were terrified and could barely move out of their meeting room. After he rose from the dead, they became the bravest and most consequential force human history has seen. They were able to do this because Jesus is the truth. The way they did it, among cultures more uncompromisingly hostile even than our own, can teach today’s Christians invaluable lessons.”
Jesus is not ‘a’ truth. He is not ‘a’ light’. He is not ‘a’ way. He is the Way, the Truth and the Life. He is the Light of the World. May it be that you are entering this New Year accepting and following Him. Happy New Year!
I also found this from 2016 – it seems somewhat relevant – even prophetic!
A Christmas Open Letter to His Royal Highness – Prince Charles
Is Jesus Enough? Christian Today
Is it not strange that such a Christmas address to the nation was interpreted with the same heart felt disappointment by every believer in Christ who listened in ? You are saying it , David , exactly how we digested it on the day , and yet , what you are saying has to be said . Thank you , Rev . Palace , please take note !!
An excellent message, David, particularly your point that the monarchy was founded on Christianity, not the other way around… and that once the foundation is rejected, the monarchy will crumble. We are living in tumultuous times, but always with our eyes fixed on our Saviour King.
It has been known for many years who this man is and would be as Kimg. Keeper of the Faiths! He is also a globalist climate change fanatic and he knows fine he is contradicting God’s word. HE, not shwab, announced the Great reset and he Heralded the Satanic ritual in Birminghams commonwealth games last year. One thing the masses have right about Charles is that he does indeed need to be saved after his Davidic Sins and awful end for Diana so yes ” God save the King”.
I was favourably surprised. Charles had previously said that he wished to be seen as “Defender of faith”, not as “Defender of the faith”. Yet, he did seem to endorse Christianity during the speech, whilst acknowledging other religions, and the accompanying imagery was encouragingly Christian.
Where did he endorse Christianity? When he stated that Christ is not the light – but that the light is what is inside of everyone of us – he specifically negated Christianity…
Stephen ,
Only to the spiritually blind and the world , is Christianity seen as “a religion” . The name Christian was first given to those who followed “the Way” Jesus Christ !
( Acts 22 Then Paul said: 3 “I am a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but brought up in this city. I studied under Gamaliel and was thoroughly trained in the law of our ancestors. I was just as zealous for God as any of you are today. 4 I persecuted the followers of this Way to their death, arresting both men and women and throwing them into prison, )
Religion is not just a word , it is a bind for the blind for those whose eyes are not opened to the One who is “The Way , The Truth and The Light !!
Please do not read this as one being arrogant or patronising , as I am sure that you are familiar with the purpose of this blogg. I find the word “religion” so often becomes an excuse for those I speak to , to lump everyone into the same bracket….just as our King has done in his Christmas address .
Gylen,
The term “Christian” appears in the New Testament – 1 Peter 4.16 and Acts 11.26 for example. “The way” is also the meaning of Islamic Sharia, so I don’t take your point.
I can see that “religion” might be an inappropriate umbrella term in some cases. Yet theologians like Barth are in an inappropriate guide on that point – he overstated his case (e.g. his take on Romans) and so undermined the status of reason. The decline of the Church of Scotland began around the time he was translated into English – though that does not prove causality of course.
Thank you David for this balanced and honest article in a day where everything is embraced as love and truth. On first glance the new Kings speech had a nod towards Christianity, sadly that was all it was.
May God truly save our new monarch. May He grant us grace, favour and real change that can only be found at the cross of Calvary.
Thanks for your thoughts, I too had my concerns regarding his views on life and more especially of his spiritual darkness. King Charles is not a believer and it came across clearly. I was staying with my son over Christmas and it caused a bit of a ‘rammy’ because I voiced my concerns. My son and his partner are not believers and I should have been more careful. But sometimes ye cannie help yersel, I was accused of judging Charlie…But to be fair the king made himself look a right “Charlie.”….But as we say hear in
Scotland,. ‘We are awe different’….
A good friend said it best: “Another unaccomplished ideologue at the helm of a country. At least the people in the UK can claim he was forced upon them while in America his idelogical twins are inflicted upon us by voters. We have no one to blame but ourselves for everthing that’s gone awry.”
Well said. You just never know who you can offend with your opinion these days.
Thank you (and Greg) for sharing Greg Sheridan’s recent article. If you can stomach it, below is the latest Air New Zealand “Safety Video” to which I have been exposed recently. Outright paganism is much more advanced across the ditch
https://youtu.be/BsAO0Lle59I
‘Outright paganism’?? Really? Where would this leave C.S. Lewis and Narnia?
You’re how I keep a finger on the pulse of what’s going on over there. From the happenings within the Church of Scotland (oh my people!) to Charles III. Keep writing and reporting!
He is not King but a pretenter to the British Crown,Charlie the founder of the WEF, unknown until his mother passed, he is now in the open,adulter,cheat, to a young wife.We are in the grip of the Antichrist,where Scot Gov. has more time making laws for Sodom and Gomorrah,rubber stamped by religion organisations,that are clouded by their own importance!
Words are meaningless if uttered from a person that does not believe in what he says
Excellent brother. Will continue to pray for poor Charles and rest of family. Great to know that salvation is offered to them as well as the paupers.
How blinded are so many who go along with this meaningless rhetoric.
I think He is trying his best but we know that it’s only Gods best that’s good enough for God and all those of us who BELIEVE.
Thank you for putting this in print. I hope to follow up soon. Is this “open letter” sent to the king personally? Unfamiliar with open letters. As always will check on line. Thank you. Your letter made my day
Helen. M
All good as always David.., , however and with respect…
Charlie, former prince, now a so called king, has always been a tree hugger.., talking to the the plants & trees etc.., and think we need to respect his somewhat creative and natural geographic views…
Perhaps the main thing is.., that whilst King Charles III , is out to save the planet.., we don’t really know which planet he is from.., in the first place..! With respect…
Of course he needs our prayers, bearing in mind that Britain, having being founded on Christianity, is.., and has been for a long time very secular, broken, and deep in darkness…
Well expressed and clearly put, David. What we are seeing played out is the breakdown of the relationships between the monarchy, the established church and the true Church. A crisis is developing, not helped by the very public strife between Charles and his sons, with growing disrespect for Charles as both meddling monarch and “head” of the state church. I believe God is throwing the whole picture into stark relief – with voices being raised around the Commonwealth, besides here in the UK.