I is for INSIDE

I had this strangest feeling late this afternoon as I drove into our cathedral city of Armagh. Once inside the thirty miles per hour signs, it soon became evident that this was no ordinary day in the life of this historical city. As I neared the gates of my old Alma mater, The Royal School, there was a large stack of what can only be described as crash barriers, sitting on the pavement at the vehicle entrance and as I moved closer to the rear pedestrian entrance door and the adjoining gravelled courtyard beyond, several more stacks of these rugged metal barriers lay waiting to be collected, the only remaining visible evidence that a major event had taken place earlier in the day. IN fact I had witnessed that historical moment, recorded on the early afternoon news, as Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II, had stepped out of her vehicle to be greeted by the Mayor and other dignitaries before going inside to meet the rest of the specially invited guests, as she celebrated with representatives of the five Royal Schools who had just reached the grand milestone of four hundred years in existence. And yet as I drove past the very door from which the red carpet had stretched to carry our Sovereign from her car to the school, I felt that I was as close to the Queen as I had ever been and probably would ever be. But just to know that she had walked on that pavement and stood inside the walls of my old school was enough to remind me that she had passed this way even though I wasn't there in person to see it happen.

My son was more fortunate. Twice in two days, he saw her, quite by accident, inside her vehicle. Once in the centre of our capital as she left the university that bears her name, though not named after her and the other time today, out in the country as her passing cavalcade of bodyguards, motorcyclists, helicopters and vehicles forced him to pause for longer than he expected at a junction as she left this part of the orchard county on her journey back home.

Others too had a much better view of Her Majesty than I, as they gathered in the great cathedral of our Patron Saint, whose day we only celebrated last Monday. They were invited to receive Maundy money from this respected lady in a custom which has traversed the history of our Royal Family but never crossed the border of England, except for one other occasion when it found it's home in the land of the dragon for one Thursday. Tonight I will watch the highlights programme on television just to see who made it inside the cathedral on such an historic day and maybe even spot one of our primary five boys who was singing like a thrush in the cathedral choir.

I've never been inside the Queen's gates never mind her home and unfortunately she can say the same about me but I'm sure it's probably pretty neat and tidy all round - a bit like my own house! Anyway if I knew she was coming, I'd probably give the place a fresh lick of paint and wife would be out with the duster and hoover for days beforehand. I suppose it's just a pity that many don't treat God with quite the same amount of respect, which is really surprising since, even though we can't see Him, He's always there so He knows already what we're like inside, though you'd think that would be enough to make some clean up their act. But isn't 'act' the key word, because it is pretty easy to put on an act for people around us but God's not into acting at all - He wants to see the real you. Isn't that why Jesus rebuked the Pharisees by telling them 'First clean the inside of the cup and dish, and then the outside also will be clean' and also added 'You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of dead men's bones and everything unclean.' It's not about looking good, it's about being good. It's not about looking happy, it's about showing joy. Does our outside reflect our inside?

I guess the people who lived in Jesus' time on earth mus have felt a bit like I did today, to know that He had passed their way, even though they didn't all get to see Him and I often wonder what an honour it must have been for Zacchaeus to be able to entertain His Creator inside his own house. Life changing I reckon. The key of course is to have His Holy Spirit living within you all the time so that nobody else can make it their home. Open your eyes, take a look inside and see who's doing the cleaning.