I was pleased - relieved - to see that the funeral of Baroness Margaret Thatcher went off without any real trouble. There were, inevitably, a few protestors lining the route of the procession from the Palace of Westminster to St Paul's, but these were very much in the minority, and barely audible above the spontaneous applause from the crowd as the coffin made it's slow progress through the streets atop the gun carriage being drawn by the King's Troop Royal Artillery.
There is no doubt that Margaret Thatcher MP was a a divisive figure whilst in Government, through I'm not going to make this post in any way a political statement. Whether you were for or against her, the one inescapable thing about death is that it brings us all to the same level. The exalted, the elite, the rich and the poor all have the same status as we depart this world. Ashes to ashes, dust to dust.
But the real value of life is what we leave behind. What we have achieved, how we are remembered, the imprint we may have made on the lives of our friends, family and all of those we have encountered during our - albeit brief - time in this world. Did we do all that we set out to do? Could we have done more with the resources and the skills that God gave us? Have we followed the example of our Lord, or did we fall short?
These are the values that will be discussed, evaluated and measured in the aftermath of our lives, and none more so that in the case of Baroness Thatcher. In her case, our memories, and the memories of the people that follow us, will be shaped by the historians and the archivists. There is already talk of a Memorial Library, in the mould of the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library. How will she be remembered? What will they have to say?
Regardless of contemporary or subjective opinion, there can surely be no doubt that she was a powerful and influential leader. It is a fact that she was the longest serving British Prime Minister of the 20th century, serving 11 years as Prime Minister and 15 years as leader of the Conservative Party. It's also a fact that she was a democratically elected leader of the UK. So regardless of anything else, these elements give her the right to respect and a place in history, and for some, a place in their hearts.
Thoughts, prayers and commiserations to her family and friends at this time of mourning.
RIP Margaret Hilda Thatcher, Baroness Thatcher, LG OM PC FRS (née Roberts, 13 October 1925 – 8 April 2013)
Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
Elections: 1979, 1983, 1987
There is no doubt that Margaret Thatcher MP was a a divisive figure whilst in Government, through I'm not going to make this post in any way a political statement. Whether you were for or against her, the one inescapable thing about death is that it brings us all to the same level. The exalted, the elite, the rich and the poor all have the same status as we depart this world. Ashes to ashes, dust to dust.
But the real value of life is what we leave behind. What we have achieved, how we are remembered, the imprint we may have made on the lives of our friends, family and all of those we have encountered during our - albeit brief - time in this world. Did we do all that we set out to do? Could we have done more with the resources and the skills that God gave us? Have we followed the example of our Lord, or did we fall short?
These are the values that will be discussed, evaluated and measured in the aftermath of our lives, and none more so that in the case of Baroness Thatcher. In her case, our memories, and the memories of the people that follow us, will be shaped by the historians and the archivists. There is already talk of a Memorial Library, in the mould of the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library. How will she be remembered? What will they have to say?
Regardless of contemporary or subjective opinion, there can surely be no doubt that she was a powerful and influential leader. It is a fact that she was the longest serving British Prime Minister of the 20th century, serving 11 years as Prime Minister and 15 years as leader of the Conservative Party. It's also a fact that she was a democratically elected leader of the UK. So regardless of anything else, these elements give her the right to respect and a place in history, and for some, a place in their hearts.
Thoughts, prayers and commiserations to her family and friends at this time of mourning.
RIP Margaret Hilda Thatcher, Baroness Thatcher, LG OM PC FRS (née Roberts, 13 October 1925 – 8 April 2013)
Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
Elections: 1979, 1983, 1987
No comments:
Post a Comment
Do you have something to say?