God, government and me

On Tuesday we spent the first of 3 gospel groups thinking about our faith, politics an the general election.  The most interesting part was the discussion beforehand and afterwards.  But for what it's worth here are the notes of the 10 min talk that we used as stimulus for our discussion:

Discuss
1. How cynical are you about government, MPs and politics? What has made you like that?

2. What are your feelings about the election? What questions do you have as you think about voting?

3. What issues have you heard talked about in the media?

4. What issues do you think matter most in this election and why?

What is politics? Groucho Marx said; "Politics is the art of looking for trouble, finding it everywhere, diagnosing it incorrectly and applying the wrong remedies." Someone else has said poly means many and a tic is a bloodsucking parasite, so politics is.... I guess those two tongue in cheek definitions sum up the cynicism that is so much part of our culture when it comes to politics and politicians.

That may be the way our society thinks about it but how are we, as christians, to think. Tonight I want to address that issue of cynicism and see how the bible can help us avoid it by not expecting too much or too little from our politicians but having a right view of them.

God is Sovereign

We need to remember that as we come to vote. On May 8th there will be a new government and God is sovereign over who will come to power. Turn to Daniel 6v25-28. These verses are the centrepiece of the book. It’s the lesson every ruler of every kingdom has had to learn in Daniel. Nebuchadnezzar learned it repeatedly; at the fiery furnace, in his dream, humiliation and restoration, and Belshazzar learns it through the writing on the wall. Now Darius has learnt it through God’s rescue of Daniel from the lions. The same lesson holds for the apocalyptic visions that follow in Ch7-12.

God rules, his kingdom will never be destroyed, and his purposes will come to pass even though people oppose them.

As we think about the election God is sovereign. That’s the bedrock.

But also in Daniel we see that those who rule are accountable to God. That’s why Nebuchadnezzar is struck down, because of his arrogant belief in his own power. That’s why Belshazzar is overthrown. That’s what Darius learns here. Those who govern, who have power will be held accountable by God for what they do with that power.

God is sovereign, he rules. And those who rule are accountable to him. As Christians that should mean that we pray for those in authority over us. At times we will pray for courage for them to stand with their convictions, at other times we might pray that they repent and have a change of heart. But we will pray for them.

God’s vision of government

In Genesis 1 and 2 we see God establish the world and within that world give humanity the responsibility to govern the world well. Man is a creature under the creator’s authority but he is to govern the world on God’s behalf. Human leadership is to express God’s own rule.

We’re going to think a lot more about this next week but God created mankind to express his rule on the earth. The Bible is positive about the idea of governance and not just in the Old Testament where the governance of Israel is in theory under God, but also in the New Testament when under Roman rule.  In Mark 12 Jesus tells people to pay taxes, Romans 13 Paul tells christians to be subject to the authorities, and in 1 Peter 2 Peter calls for believers to submit to the authorities. Believers are encouraged to honour those who govern them, respect them and obey them. Even though those who govern are fallen, just as we are, even though they make mistakes, just as we do. Government is necessary and it is a good thing.

It’s vital that we see that God is for good government. That government is not a necessary evil. Our society is cynical about our MPs, and I think most of us have probably breathed in that air of cynicism and now breathe it out without thinking too much about it. For some of us that might mean we find ourselves thinking I can’t be bothered to vote, they’re all the same, it won’t make a difference which party gets in and so on. But as Christians we are called to be different from the world.

We are to respect those in authority over us. And we are given a say in who governs us. I don’t want to get into whether democracy is the Bible’s vision of government. It certainly isn’t the antidote to corruption that some make it out to be, nor is it the answer to the world’s problems it is sometimes painted as, only the gospel is. But we are privileged to have a say in who governs us. God is sovereign over who governs, but we are also responsible to God for how we vote. Our vote is part of how God exercises his rule, it’s also part of our serving God.

That means first and foremost that as Christians we must vote. But how should we vote?

God’s character and the political parties.

We need to recognise that choosing who to vote for is not an easy decision. We can’t simply sit and think ‘which political party would Jesus be in?’ As we explore the character of God in more detail next week and look at the society God sets up which shares his values and passions we will see that God cares more passionately about justice than the political right and more passionately for the poor than the political left.

We’ll see that there are other issues than just the ones that the political parties are making the most noise about. We’ll see that there are issues which God cares about which we might not even know what the parties think about.

But as God’s people, in God’s world, we are to vote trusting in God’s sovereignty and serving him as we place our cross in whichever box we decide to vote for. In our political system we vote for a local politician who represents us. Leaders debates are all very well but they shouldn’t sway us too much because we don’t elect a Prime Minister. We elect a local politician to represent us as one of 650 constituency politicians in Parliament. We need to elect the person who will be represent us and the issues God cares about.

That means we must do a number of things:

a. Pray about how we will vote

b. Be educated about those who we may vote for – remember we vote for a local candidate not a Presidential candidate. That means we need to get hold of information about local candidates and read it. Maybe even attending local hustings to ask questions and seek answers. Practically you can find out about your local candidates at www.yournextmp.com, we need to read what they provide and use things like their Facebook page, twitter feed or personal website to see what they care about.

c. Be voting – We need to actually vote. Whether that is choosing a candidate or registering our lack of faith in any candidate by spoiling the ballot paper.

d. Be realistic – no candidate or party is going to fit precisely what we are looking for. There is also a limit on what politicians can do. We need to be realistic and look for candidates who are realistic. We also need to be realistic and not encourage candidates to over promise in order to win our vote.

e. Be thankful – God is sovereign, even as we serve God as we exercise our vote, God rules. We can go to sleep trusting in his care and sovereignty and his goodness. Knowing that “he is the living God, enduring forever; his kingdom shall never be destroyed and his dominion shall be to the end.”

Q&A
What do you know about candidates for your constituency?

How do you intend to find out about them?

What sorts of questions do you think we should be asking in order to find out whether they will represent us well?

Make the most of your Vote

Many of us will have the opportunity to vote this week, but how does our faith impact on the way we will vote?  I just want to think about a couple of principles - and these are far from exhaustive - which ought to guide us.

1. Don't be conformed in your thinking
How do most people decide how to vote?  They read the booklet or leaflets and pick as consumers, which candidate or party will most benefit me.   Or they vote as they have always done for a favourite political party, or the family party.  But there must be something distinctly Christian about how we think about such things.  Our faith impacts even how we vote, it challenges our conformity to the way the world thinks, live and votes.  We must not unthinkingly or prayerlessly vote how we have always done, or based on a what is best for me attitude.

2. Be tranformed
So how does our faith impact our thinking and consideration of candidates.  I'm not going to be party political but simply seek to sketch out some principles which will focus our transformed thinking: 

a. Where can I do good to my neighbour?
Instead of thinking who is best for me personally think about who is best for the most marginalised and oppressed people in society.  Is the person who is promising no council tax increases necessarily the best person for the poor and marginalised in your area if that means cutting the kinds of services and support they need?  Would paying a few more pounds a month harm me as much as the loss of a children's centre would harm marginalised and underprivileged families?

b.Who is protecting the widow and alien?
The Bible reveals to us God's heart for the widow, the fatherless and the alien and it shows us that God expects his family to share the family concerns.  This must impact the way we vote, which party or candidate will be a voice for the voiceless?  Who is protect those who are most vulnerable?

3. Politics will never bring the Kingdom
Jesus had to teach his disciples repeatedly that the kingdom he ruled was not a political kingdom and it is still not a political kingdom.  Christendom in the UK is dead and long past resuscitation and I don't think we should be trying to do so.  No matter who is elected into whatever positions they will not bring about the kingdom of God in our towns or cities.  The kingdom of God comes through the people of God together displaying the life of God in their midst and holding out the gospel to a world desperately in need.  So lets think, pray, and vote, but realise politic will never bring about God's kingdom the church will be a display of its joy until Christ returns and brings about his kingdom.  Political good will and action can never end poverty or minister to the whole person the church can.

But this realisation mustn't disillusion us so that we don't vote, it ought to spur us on to vote distinctively and reach the world with the only message that can save and redeem the world one life at a time.

Confusion

I guess I like most people woke up this morning to mass confusion about what the election results actually mean. Can the conservatives form a government? Is it feasible for Labour to cling to power? What exactly happens next? Who will be the next Prime minister?

It does amaze me that although for weeks people have been saying the result would be a hung Parliament still no-one seems quite sure what will happen next.

So what is our response as Christians. It is to pray for our leaders (all of them) for wise decisions to be made and not ungodly compromises. Pray for values to matter not to be dealt away and pray for those individuals involved in making all those decisions.

But we also need to remember that God is sovereign. As Isaiah says
"Whom did the LORD consult to enlighten him,
and who taught him the right way?
Who was it that taught him knowledge
or showed him the path of understanding?

Surely the nations are like a drop in a bucket;
they are regarded as dust on the scales;
he weighs the islands as though they were fine dust.

Lebanon is not sufficient for altar fires,
nor its animals enough for burnt offerings.

Before him all the nations are as nothing;
they are regarded by him as worthless
and less than nothing."

God is sovereign Parliament may be hung but God rules, we must pray for his will to be done trusting in him and his word and living looking for his kingdom.

How should I vote?

That was a question I was asked a couple of times yesterday. This Thursday sees the local elections, European elections and in Doncaster Mayoral elections. How should the Christian vote?

I don't feel it is right for pastors to direct their people in how to vote, it is a matter for personal prayer and thought. But it is right to exhort people to vote. Especially as in Britain faith in politicians is at an all time low, and my hunch is that not many will vote this Thursday because why bother as they are all as corrupt as each other. It matters that Christians exercise their right to vote to influence society, we need leaders who make godly choices as MEPs, MPs and Mayor.

Here are a couple of pointers however; are some of the parties/candidates standing on a platform of oppressing the poor and foreigner? The Bible would call us to stand up against that.

What is that candidates voting record like on issues like abortion, the equality bill, embryo research etc...? You can see at www.theyworkforyou.com input your postcode it will tell you who your MP is and you can see how they voted. You can also then link to write to them.

Whatever your decision please vote in the elections.