'A challenge - let your MP know you are praying for them'
Tim visited London three times in November, including Parliament - and has a message ahead of next year's General Election
A rather different postcard this month.
I find myself sitting, for the third time in a month, on the train, returning to Manchester from London. Three very different visits, each, in its way, a privilege. For at least two of these visits – and I will leave it to you to work out which is which – I felt constrained to wear a suit. Not something I do very often!
First off was an invitation to preach – and engage with a group of students – at Spurgeon’s College. Perhaps surprisingly, in 30 years of ministry, this was my first visit. I was asked to preach on Ezra 6 – an invitation which was issued before the tragic events of 7 October.
Ezra depicts the re-building of the Temple and the re-establishment of the Law of God. It is difficult to reconcile this with the murderous and extreme violence which we are witnessing from both sides in Gaza. My message to the college could be summed up as, “Beware anyone – and especially the preacher - who offers simplistic answers to such complex issues.”
In the face of such violence, it felt especially important this year to join with leaders from across faith communities in sharing in the National Ceremony of Remembrance. As the memory of those who have experienced the consequences of the two world wars fades, I continue to believe that we must learn the lessons of those two devastations. As Christians, we model ourselves on the Prince of Peace who allowed himself to be crucified and would not allow Peter to defend him using violence. The Ceremony felt particularly powerful this year.
And finally, on the day of the Chancellor’s Autumn Statement, it was a privilege to visit Parliament for an event which the Joint Public Issues Team had facilitated. At a time when this country feels more divided than ever before, it was both thrilling and hopeful to sit in a room with Christian politicians representing Conservative, Labour, Liberal Democrat and Scottish National Parties, all wanting to explore with the various Church leaders how Christians can engage with the very real issues facing our country – and how politicians can engage with the concerns of the Christian communities.
We may not agree on the solutions proposed, but everyone agreed that churches have a unique insight into, for example, the plight of refugees and migrant communities. Churches which have opened up as Warm Spaces have a unique contribution to the debate around poverty and Cost of Living Crisis. Churches have a unique voice in wrestling with the climate emergency. We view the planet not as a resource to be exploited, but as God’s creation.
There will be a General Election sometime next year.
Politicians of all flavours want to hear from us, and are particularly keen to engage with those of us who are engaged in mission in our communities on a daily basis. This should not, though, be a short-term relationship – hosting a ‘hustings’ event, for example. Rather we should be support, encouraging and yes, challenging, those who are engaged with politics on our behalf. Why not write to your MP to ask them what their priorities are for the coming year?
In my ministry, I have met many politicians from all political parties. While I may have disagreed with some – and I cannot deny that some have come across as self-serving – the vast majority have been dedicated public servants who work extremely hard to serve the communities they represent.
May I challenge you, when you write to your MP, to tell them (honestly) that you are praying for them – whether they want you to or not!
Image | Daniil Korbut | Unsplash