I don’t know what you’re thinking about #GE2024, or elections in general.
A lot of us are cynical and disdainful, perhaps to the point where politics is an active sore in our lives, and the lives of those around us. There’s plenty of reason why our feelings about government and governing should provoke our grief, rage and distrust.
A lot of us are apathetic. We’ve been disappointed too many times to keep seeing any merit or relevance to the whole exercise. Maybe it was a struggle to even read beyond the word “election” . If that’s us then we probably won’t vote. And nobody could lay any of the blame for that decision on us.
A lot of us still have some optimism about politics and policy, or at the very least recognise its potential for achieving particular goals. Some of us have active roles in a party. For others we might stick a poster in the window or an emoji on our socials. It could be that our commitment to our party or policies means overlooking the means so long as we achieve ‘our’ ends in battling an injustice and delivering an important cause.
I’ve worked in and around government for 15 years. That limits what’s possible in party political terms1. But if you spend enough time with me then I will more than likely have tried to persuade you that it’s important for Christians to care about the quality of how government goes about its business.
It’s a core part of who I am. I have a recurring prayer that “those who govern the world would fall in love with the values of the King and His Kingdom”. I’m even writing a book with my friend Dave that’s intended to be an encouragement to Christians by offering a hope-filled, faith-inspired perspective on democracy and how we’re governed.
So that means I’ve been anticipating this election for a long time, and frankly growing ever more restless at the need for change. I can’t say I’m impressed with these last 5 years (or with much of several previous electoral cycles to be honest). Once the election was announced I was looking forward to the night of July 4th into July 5th as being one of enjoyable schadenfreude2.
But then a couple of Sundays ago God challenged me in a moment when I was supposed to be listening to a sermon but was in fact being distracted by an email.
That email was inviting me to a #GE2024 election night watch party. I was immediately drawn to the idea of a room full of like-minded people cheering as various miscreants got ticked off our election night bingo cards. I could imagine the football-like crowd with pantomime-esque audience participation having a great old time. I clicked the link and started to fill out my details.
And then God stopped me in my tracks.
He pointed out that His people are called to something better and something higher than celebrating the downfall of others. And then He challenged me even more deeply.
“If you’re going to be so bold as to claim that I’ve put a prayer on your heart that those who govern the world would fall in love with the values of the King and His Kingdom, does that include an elected Nigel Farage?”
And I was reminded of the night in 2016 when Central London Vineyard were challenged to “honour the emperor” and pray for the newly elected Donald Trump.
I don’t think it’s a revelation to say that their politics are not my politics. But am I letting that get in the way of how I go about seeking God’s Kingdom?
How can I claim to write an “encouragement to other Christians by offering a hope-filled, faith-inspired perspective on how we’re governed” if I’m buying into the deceitful delight and corrosive celebration of a night spent crowing at downfall because of what has happened in the past.
The only events and behaviours of the past that should be determining my response to the election of a new Parliament are those of Jesus. And His is a perspective that sets my eyes on the future and fills me with genuine excitement.
So, here are two things I’m going to do before the election, and maybe you’d like to join me or do something similar locally to you.
1. Pray for Places
Elections aren’t about political parties and politicians. Not really. Elections are about us, and the places where we live.
They’re a moment where thousands of candidates seek to step up and take on responsibility for looking after our interests and advocating for our needs. In different parts of the country, different issues are on the table. Maybe we have connections across the country and know about some of those different issues and can pray for them with more information.
But more often than not we are totally blind to the needs of fellow citizens in specific places. That’s not true of God. He loves all of those places, He loves all the people who live in them and He weeps with them and celebrates with them. So while some things are local to us, a general election is a moment to remember that we are part of a bigger whole. And that’s why I’m praying for all 650 constituencies.
That means celebrating them, as well as lamenting with them. Let’s delight in what’s good as well as weeping for what we know is not.
Here in Croydon I am going to get out and pray physically for the four Croydon constituencies by doing a prayer walk along a 10 mile stretch of the boundaries that join Streatham and North Croydon, East Croydon, West Croydon and South Croydon. I’ll be setting off from Harris Academy, Kendra Hall Way after Croydon Vineyard’s 4pm service on Sunday June 30th.
2. Pray for people
Of course pray for national leaders, pray for candidates, pray for those voting, pray for the returning officers and election officials at the count, pray for the people doing the polling and the punditry. Pray for all these people, and more besides.
But let me encourage you to specifically pray for every one of the 650 newly elected candidates as they take on the incredible mantle of holding delegated responsibility for the life of their constituency and the lives of those within them.
Paul in his letter to the church in Rome calls the authorities “God’s servants, who give their full time to governing“3. So don’t pray for our leaders just as an act of obedience. Pray to recognise that politicians and public servants shoulder a weighty responsibility. Pray to ask Jesus to come alongside and share that burden. Pray to ask God to work through them and the state as a vehicle for justice and mercy, compassion and grace.
So, instead of joining a watch party that ultimately buys into a narrative of winners and losers, I’m organising a watch party underpinned by prophetic encouragement. Which will be a very different way to spend the night than I had imagined a couple of weeks ago.
It’s a watch party where the unfolding results will be set into context by our love for God and His love for each of the people elected to spend the next five years serving their places.
If you’d be interested in joining that online, or in person, let me know.