Captain Thomas Moore - 100 years of age and veteran of World War II - receives his Knighthood from Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II on July 17, 2020 on the grounds of Windsor Castle in Windsor, England, UK.
“Ready and raring to go for what is a very special day,” tweeted Tom Moore before his meeting with Queen Elizabeth last Friday. However, as he told the BBC, he would not kneel before the British monarch, “because if I did, I’ll never get up again.”
“Captain Tom” made global headlines when the one-hundred-year-old World War II veteran raised more than $40 million for National Health Service charities by doing laps on his walker across his garden. Queen Elizabeth II recognized his service by knighting him on the outdoor grounds of Windsor Castle.
He stood before the queen, who touched his shoulders with a very long sword that once belonged to her father, George VI. Though neither wore masks, the length of the sword provided social distancing.
It was the queen’s first semipublic appearance since the start of the pandemic, which has posed unique challenges for the ninety-four-year-old. She and her ninety-nine-year-old husband have been self-isolating at Windsor Castle. However, she has made Zoom calls and speeches that aired on television. The palace even released pictures of her riding a horse on the castle grounds.
Her approval ratings have remained extremely high throughout the pandemic.
Why every age is a good age to serve Jesus
Our utilitarian culture values us based on our value to others. The older we get, the less valuable many consider us to be.
One of the many tragic dimensions of the drive to legalize euthanasia across the nation is the sinful, selfish opinion that elderly people have “outlived their usefulness” and should not be a “burden” on their families and society.
Watching Queen Elizabeth II knight Tom Moore should put such “ageism” to rest.
No matter the age you are, God has a kingdom assignment that is suited to your station in life. Caleb was eighty-five years old when he claimed the part of Canaan promised to him by God. “I am still as strong today as I was in the day that Moses sent me,” he testified (Joshua 14:11).
When Moses died at the age of one hundred and twenty, “his eye was undimmed, and his vigor unabated” (Deuteronomy 34:7). Scripture says, “Gray hair is a crown of glory” (Proverbs 16:31). Job 12:12 adds, “Wisdom is with the aged, and understanding with length of days.” Paul testified, “Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day” (2 Corinthians 4:16).
At the same time, Paul instructed Timothy to “let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity” (1 Timothy 4:12). Every age has its advantages and attributes that make us uniquely usable by the Lord.
Helen Keller made a permanent mark on our world despite her great challenges. She testified: “I am only one, but still I am one. I cannot do everything, but still I can do something; and because I cannot do everything, I will not refuse to do something that I can do.”
What is your “something”?
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