Thought for the Week: 15th January 2023

Privacy in a Royal Kingdom

Rev Anna Davis

Prince Harry’s memoir has sold incredibly quickly, in huge numbers, and certainly has many people talking. Whether you have read it yourself, or plan to, I am sure you have heard of it and possibly even have an opinion. Some are supportive of him speaking out, some feel it is wrong and that it is airing matters that should be kept private - while some question if he is even speaking the truth.

Regardless of where their opinion lands, people are fascinated. Why? The royal family are a significant part of British culture and are almost considered public property. It is a part of our culture we have not chosen but inherited, in a similar way to Prince Harry, being born into the family and the identity and lifestyle that resulted in.

One of the questions that his book has raised that I am interested in, is a question around privacy. Do we have a right to privacy? Do some people have more (or less) of a right than others? Do we have a right to know other people’s business? And what does God have to do with all this?

 Firstly I would say that we know that gossip is a sin (Romans 1:29) and that slander is not how God wants us to speak about each other (2 Corinthians 12:20). God calls us to be holy people, and the thoughts we have about other people really matter, for these flow out into our words. It is the things that come out of the mouth that make a person unclean (Matthew 15). We must make sure that we are speaking what is true and what is helpful - and when it comes to celebrity gossip - how can we know what is really true? There are many different voices we could listen to - we would have to discern carefully what is right.

We also know that God tells us to do some things privately - this is in order that we do not gloat about our good deeds. Giving to charity for example - or our prayers - when we make a big show of these things, God says that we won’t receive an extra reward in heaven for things like that.

Then I think about integrity - which for me means being the same person in public as I am in private. This means that privacy is not a blanket to cover my sin. Privacy does not mean that I can be a different person and live a double life. God sees it all, and I think this is the key point for me.

Being on the receiving end of gossip is awful. Having people believe things about you that aren’t true is damaging in so many ways: it can cause others (and you) to question your identity and God given purpose. It is selfish, malicious and often an outright lie. It can be impossible to defend yourself against these things; sadly there may well be people who do not want to believe the truth. But God knows the truth. God knows what is done in secret. He sees each and every person, their motives and their actions. God knows what is in our hearts when we do things and he judges us fairly.

To Prince Harry I would say, God knows what has happened, and he loves you unconditionally. The public may never know the truth of what has gone on, but God already does and when it comes down to it, that is what counts. You are no ‘spare’ to him, but a chosen son. This is true for all people (well half of us are chosen daughters!) As Christians we are children of the King and we are called to live as holy people.

We can rarely control what others think of us, but we can ask God to purify our own hearts and we can choose to focus on what is good and holy. Let us see other people how God sees them. I pray that we grow in faith in Jesus, and live knowing that we are always known and loved by him.