“Amazing grace, how sweet the sound
That saved a wretch like me
I once was lost, but now am found
Was blind, but now I see.”
A hush settled upon the thousands gathered at Buckingham Palace as the time-honored words from John Newton’s hymn began to ripple through the crowd in a swelling chorus of voices.
This spontaneous moment is one of many remarkable experiences shared by Billy Graham Rapid Response chaplains since their deployment to London late last week.
Following the announcement of Queen Elizabeth’s death on Sept. 8th, 10 crisis-trained chaplains–including Canadian Merle Doherty–arrived at Buckingham Palace and Windsor Castle to offer prayer and emotional support to anyone in need.
Through sun and rain, and for as long as 12 hours each day, chaplains have been ministering to people of all ages, nationalities and walks of life who have come to lay flowers and pay their respects to the Queen.
Despite crowds that are estimated to have numbered in the hundreds of thousands, the atmosphere is described as being peaceful, calm, and exceptionally well-managed by police and security personnel.
In just a few short days, our chaplains have been able to pray and share the Good News of Jesus with visitors hailing from across the UK and Scotland, Austria, Germany, Switzerland, Ukraine, Canada, the USA, Zimbabwe and more.
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Nathan* – a young man from Australia – rededicated his life to Christ after praying and talking with a chaplain. John*, visiting from Florida, shared that he’d had enough of religion. As our BG-RRT chaplain described what it means to have a real relationship with Jesus, John showed interest in learning more and was willing to receive prayer. Like John*, many who professed to be atheist or agnostic were still receptive to conversation and prayer.
One chaplain approached a woman who was laying flowers and appeared visibly upset. Through tears, she shared how the Queen’s death had brought back sad memories of the loss of her husband three years ago.
As conversation turned towards the Queen’s faith, she readily accepted an offer for prayer and expressed deep gratitude. “Thank you so much – I shall never forget you,” she told the chaplain. “I will always remember this moment.”
Another woman, Mandy*, had met the Queen many years ago as a young woman. Now in her 60s, and despite struggling with chronic pain and mobility issues, Mandy’s lasting impression of the Queen’s grace and kindness had compelled her to make the long journey to Buckingham Palace on her own.
Mandy began to open up about some of her struggles, describing the impact of an abusive marriage and ostracization by family and friends. Our chaplains were able to pray with Mandy and encourage her to seek healing and belonging in Christ.
One of our chaplains describes the moment they joined with a handful of others to start singing “Amazing Grace”:
“I realized that many more people were joining in, and I could see many mobile phones recording. It was a surreal moment because it felt like everyone there was singing and lifting each other up!
When we finished, it was so quiet you could hear a pin drop – yet there were thousands of people there. Then, after a few moments of silence, there was applause that rippled out across the crowd. It was a very special and spiritual moment: God’s amazing grace and glory, shining out through the sadness and the rain.”
Please pray that as our Rapid Response Teams continue to minister in the UK, many more lives will be changed forever by the message of hope found in Jesus – the same message that Queen Elizabeth lived and reigned by.
*The names and photos for this story have been changed for privacy.
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