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"I can think of the fact that His Majesty, of course
is a descendant of Solomon. If I can recall the biblical
phrase correctly, when King David died and the LORD asked
Solomon what he wanted most, Solomon said, “LORD,
give me an understanding heart”. And because he asked
for that, he received great wisdom, a long life and, of
course, he had an understanding heart.
So it is with His Majesty. He has wisdom. He has had a
long life and I know from personal experience, an understanding
heart.
So tonight we honour him for what he has been to his country,
to his continent, and to the world. We honour him also
for what he means to history. What he means to history
is something more than that of a national leader, or continental
leader, or a world leader. What he means is a Spirit,
a Spirit that in these days we sometimes think is lost:
The Spirit does not give up when all odds seem too difficult
to overcome; the Spirit that will not compromise when
there is no compromise which would not destroy that in
which he believed; the Spirit that inspired us all in
1936 when we saw him standing tall and proud before the
League of Nations, talking for what all of the pragmatists,
all of the realists said was a lost cause. Because he
spoke so strongly and proudly and vigorously, for what
was said to be a lost cause, he was victorious; but what
was more important, the cause of freedom, of strong men
who refused to be overcome by the odds and by the difficulties
– that survived.
What His Majesty leaves, that heritage on his pages of
the history books of the world, means more than the leadership
of a nation, or a continent, or for that matter, the world,
and for that moment of inspirational leadership we are
all in his debt." |
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Excerpts from the White House Press Release in reference to
His Majesty’s return as the Messiah – July 8th, 1969
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