One of my “missions” while I was in England was to have an appointment with The Baroness Cox of Queensbury. She is the Deputy Speaker of the House of Lords and had been recommended as a possible speaker for Christian Celebrity Luncheons. So I hoped to meet her to talk to her about it.
Her friend and mine, Dr. Mel Cheatham who is on Franklin Graham’s Board for Samaritan’s Purse was the person who talked to me about her. Since I was going to England anyway, I thought it would be a perfect time to meet her.
After numerous emails, I was able to set an appointment with her secretary. She said the Baroness could give me a half hour. We had agreed on 5:30 PM as she had invited me to tea at the House of Lords, England’s governing body. I dressed carefully in a navy suit and high heels, not wanting to look like a tourist in these august halls where I discovered it is impossible to get in without an invitation.
At five minutes to six, I heard this commotion at the entrance and this dynamo lady comes running up to me saying, “If you’re Samantha, come with me, I have to cast a vote on a bill. Can you run? We have to hurry!”
So here we are, running down the marble halls of the House of Parliament, me in my high heels, clicking along behind her. It was a long hall and people stopped to watch these two crazy women running toward the Chambers. Some of the guards, in black tuxedos, just stood and watched, grinning. Apparently this is not the first time they have seen the Baroness running to vote. We made it just in time.
After that, we went in to the restaurant where they serve tea in the afternoon. We sat at a small table, overlooking the Thames, watching the boat traffic go by as we talked. The Baroness told me of some of her harrowing experiences traveling to third world countries setting up clinics and schools to help children.
Two hours later, she suddenly looked at her watch and exclaimed, “Oh my goodness, I am late for my dinner appointment!” We hurriedly exited as she left to get into her car. With a quick hug she was gone.
Since I wasn’t in the hurry she was, I slowly walked down the long hall, looking at the magnificent gold carvings; at the stained glass windows high up in the ceilings. As I was standing there, suddenly one of the black tuxedos came up to me and said, “Excuse me, My Lady, I saw you with the Baroness. Are you new in the House of Lords? Is there anything I can do to help you, My Lady?”
Of course, when I turned, giggled and spoke with my decided “Yankee” accent, he knew I definitely was not in the House of Lords! Nevertheless, we chatted for a moment and he told me some of the history of various statues nearby.
Meeting my friends who were waiting in the car, I told them of the episode and we all had a good laugh. Me in the House of Lords!
Later it started me thinking. How many times do we assume that someone is a Christian simply because they go to church, just like the tuxedo clad guard thought I might be in the House of Lords because I was dressed appropriately and had hugged the Baroness.
It reminded me of a man named Nicodemus who came to see Jesus one night. Nicodemus certainly dressed the part of the Pharisee, attended the synagogue and kept all the Pharisaical laws. But Jesus said in effect, to him, “You may dress like the law abiding Pharisee you are and even do good, but unless you are born again, you will not see the kingdom of heaven.”
Jesus is still saying that to us today, recorded in John 3:7, “Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’” He doesn’t care what denomination we are, just like He didn’t care that Nicodemus was a Pharisee. He simply said, “You must be born again.”
And that is The Way…As I See It. Shalom