Video for June 27th, 2024
Hello everyone, and welcome to this week’s video.
One always has to be wary as a cleric not to be seen as too party political. We can have a position as an honest broker between conflicting parties which can be lost if one appears too partisan. However, people do ask who you will be voting for at the General Election next week. I am absolutely not going to tell you that. Partly because one does have a bit of influence and I am as capable of being misguided as the next person. I wouldn’t want to associate my voting choices with holy writ and therefor appear to pressurise others in theirs. I will be voting though. I do think democracy is important and we use it or lose it.
Someone once told me he never voted because all politicians were corrupt. When I asked him if he knew any politicians, or had any evidence for that assertion, he went surprisingly quiet. Its a cynical and ridiculous thing to say, as silly as saying all Doctors are corrupt or any other profession. I have met a lot of our local political representatives. I’m happy to report that they’re hardworking, passionate and concerned to make the world a better place according to deeply held convictions. They do this in the face of horrific social media bullying. I’m not sure I would be as resilient. We should give them a lot more credit.
When I was growing up there was a much clearer ideological divide between the parties. Nowadays, political conversation is much more pragmatic, if melodramatic. For all the attempts to establish clear blue water, and demonise the opposition, the real arguments seem to me to be pretty marginal, more to do with tone and emphasis that enormous differences of substance. The attempts to gain my vote are often an appeal to self-interest.
As a Christian, it’s that last bit I’m wary of. The Christian faith is all about love; but love defined in a particular way – the giving of yourself on behalf of others as modelled by Jesus. If love means anything, it opens up the possibility that we could vote for something that leaves us worse off. We do have a responsibility to vote according to what is best for the greatest number of people, not what is best for us. When I cast my vote on July 4th, the first question I’ll be asking isn’t which policy is going to make me better off. I’ll be looking at matters of justice – how do the policies on offer create a better society with opportunities for all and better intergenerational equity? How will they affect the weakest, who often have no voice or power? I’ll be asking which policies seem to have the best hope of arresting catastrophic climate change and securing a better and safer future for my grandchildren. How will they encourage the alignment of societies’ values with a specifically Christian vision of human flourishing? For all sorts of reasons, I will come to different conclusions to others who are asking the same questions on which party on balance will achieve that. I won’t assume I’ll have enough information to be absolutely confident I’m right and you are wrong about it. In any case so many policy decisions don’t have a clear cause and effect relationship. We don’t know what will emerge. Life is uncertain and human behaviour is innately unpredictable. However, I hope we can conduct the debate with civility and respect. The way we have these discussions can be as important as the conclusions we draw.
Above all, I encourage us all to pray for the process, for those who have put themselves forward as candidates, and for the new government as it forms, of whatever hue. They will face some significant challenges. Paul in his first letter to Timothy, chapter 2 urges, “first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people – for kings and those in authority, that we may live peaceful and godly lives in all godliness and holiness”.
A very good prayer to echo in the lead up to July 4th.
+Richard