June 2016 is an important month in UK politics, as the referendum on whether to leave or remain in the European Union takes place on 23 June. I have very little interest in politics, having a certain sympathy with a quote I once read in a children’s book that said ‘MPs ruin the country!‘ The role of rhetoric in politics makes it virtually impossible sometimes to separate substance from emotion and I have found it increasingly difficult to sustain interest in an exceedingly important debate when personalities making grandiose, sweeping statements which cannot be backed by hard facts (inevitably, for the most part, since it’s difficult to determine hard facts about future events which by their very nature cannot be evaluated through foresight and prediction) rant on in verbose sound-bites. The ‘Stronger In Europe’ leaflet which featured expert opinion included a quote from Martin Lewis (founder MoneySavingExpert) saying ‘On the balance of probability, it is more likely we’ll have less money in our pockets if we vote to leave’, which seemed to me hardly a ringing endorsement and turned out to have been used out of context and without his permission (see here)… but I have been just as unimpressed by doom-laden predictions from the Brexit corner.
Whatever my personal opinions on politics, however, the Bible urges us all to pray for those in authority: ‘I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people— for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness.’ (1 Timothy 2:1-2) Our prayer topc for June is therefore to pray for all those in authority at all levels, including international, national and local government.
Eugene Peterson, writing on the book of Revelation, reminds us that ‘every community is set down in the middle of this conflict of politics. Christian communities of faith have St. John’s vision by which to distinguish the politics of the dragon from the politics of the Lamb.’ (‘Reversed Thunder’, P 132) The politics of the world – influenced inevitably by sin and its anti-God stance – ‘takes the superficial and the pretentious and inflates them into promises of dominion and reputation, seducing the ego and exacerbating pride.’ (ibid.) Jesus, on the other hand, teaches us to lay down our lives in selfless service: ‘the politics of the Lamb, by showing that the plainest details of our daily faith are significant factors in a cosmic drama, protects us from hubris and guides us into the maturity that pours intelligence and energy into what is before us, making a work of holy art out of the ordinary.’ (ibid.)
We are called to be as wise (or shrewd) as serpents and as harmless as doves. (Matt 10:16) Let’s pray for those in authority and continue to pray for God’s kingdom to come, on earth as in heaven. (Matt 6:10)