In the midst of so much political uncertainty, speculation as to who will be the next Prime Minister and in the wake of the European election it was reassuring to read Psalm 33: 10-12:
The LORD foils the plans of the nations; he thwarts the purposes of the peoples. But the plans of the LORD stand firm forever, the purposes of his heart through all generations. Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD, the people he chose for his inheritance.
Whatever the plans of governments they will always be subject to the purpose of God as it unfolds through the generations. And ultimately a nation is judged not by its economic strength or how it is regarded in the wider world but where it stands with God. It is yet another reminder of the limitations of political power. Governments will always point to what has changed for the better in their time but how deep does that change go?
Hilary Clinton”s book What Happened is an account of the Presidential election which she lost to Donald Trump. Various factors are cited: the FBI investigation into her personal email account, the probability of Russian interference, the fact that she is a woman and a distorted media presentation of her message.
There are also moments of impressive candour. She is quite clear that one reason for her failure is quite simply that people do not like her. That reminded me of a comment Neil Kinnock made when he lost his second General Election as Leader of the Labour Party. He said, ‘I have to face the fact that I am a political and personal failure.‘
It is always an impressive moment when people face the reality of themselves and realise that there are aspects of their personality that come between themselves and others. That takes honesty and humility. But it is what happens next that is of supreme importance. Will there be a shrug of the shoulders and a resigned ‘You can’t win them all.’ Or will there be a commitment to change?
When I read the writings of the apostles in the New Testament I am challenged never to accept the way I am. These men who were close to Jesus are constantly encouraging me to practise personal values that will not just be life-changing for me but also for the world. Paul wrote to an early Christian community:
Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. (Colossians 3: 12-14)
When Paul writes this he must believe that this is possible, that people can reach towards these values and make them part of their lives. As a former persecutor of the Church he knew what personal change was all about. It was so radical that he could call himself a ‘new creation.’ Of course a ‘new creation’ needs a creator and Paul’s change came about because of an encounter with the Risen Christ and His vision of how Paul’s life would unfold from that moment. The past with its failure was behind him, the future with Christ held the promise of change not merely for himself but for the world.
Woody Allen once said: ‘My one regret in life is that I am not someone else.’ Well, Christian faith does not make you someone else but it presents the possibility that we can show in our lives the qualities of Someone else. Jesus says: ‘I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit.‘ (John 15: 5) It is where a nation stands in relation to this promise that lies its ultimate health and strength.
