Oh Lord. It is election time again…
Many years ago I attended a girl’s grammar school. Most of the young ladies of this excellent institution wore a smart navy blue uniform right down to the nether garments (by which I mean socks). The rebellious girls wore their ties fat-knotted and at half mast, daringly adapted the standard pleated skirt in a way that endangered the morality of the entire town and sported (Quelle horreur!) pierced ears and wedge shoes. The scruffy oiks, of which I was one, technically wore all the right things but in a manner that was at least as subversive of the dignity of the school and its policies. The rebels rebelled. We just didn’t care.
In the 6th form despite my total disregard for matters sartorial I was elected Head Girl. Clearly my peers and staff were not voting on external appearances!
The day my head girliness was announced I was surprised to have abuse shouted at me from the top of the tower block. Confused, I climbed 6 flights of stairs to face an enraged 4th form mob. When I besought the reason for their hatred it emerged that they had heard that I was going to change the school uniform policy so that everyone would have to wear white knee socks with ankle frills. Anyone less likely to care what sort of socks anyone wore could not be imagined. I disabused them of this heinous untruth and went on my way.
I am reminded of this as we endure our current National and local electioneering. Slander is justified by allegedly righteous anger; winning arguments are valued more than truthful ones; soundbites trump nuance; personal attacks abound and dissension and vitriol are stirred up by people who want to destabilise rather than work for unity. So here are a few thoughts about how Christians might engage better in all this.
Media owners get rich when headlines instil fear. Check the facts. Take the ideology with more than a pinch of salt and make decisions based on fact not gossip and opinion. There may be no white socks conspiracy at all.
We are called to love our neighbours, even if they have poor taste in hosiery. This is not justification to vilify and hate them.
Thinking your party’s platform is unflawed is folly. Manifestos are made by ambitious people feeding tribal fears and things change. White socks might be the right way to go these days.
Scripture tells us to pray for our leaders and respect those in authority. Deriding them on Facebook is wrong. Pray for their wisdom and that their hearts may be right and perhaps they will see the light and abandon the white socks manifesto.
Do not be paranoid. The world will not end if your candidate loses and white socks are temporarily back in fashion.
Whatever your preferred sock colour in this election may you know that you are for Him before party and be filled with God’s peace.
Dean Sarah