Easter means religion and politics must mix

We are sometimes warned not to mix politics and religion. We are told that religion should keep itself to itself and that politicians should avoid being openly religious. 

 

Thirty years ago Archbishop Oscar Romero was murdered for speaking out for the cause of the poor in El Salvador. I believe he was right to speak out. If our faith has nothing to do with how we live our lives in our communities then it is an irrelevant faith.

 

Many of us are realising that we need a new politics in this country and politicians who are willing to serve the people and who are not in it for their own selfish gain. This is where the Christian model of serving others becomes particularly relevant.

 

Jesus teaches us that to be great you must be the servant of all. Paul writes in Philippians that Jesus ‘did not regard equality with God as something to be exploited, but emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, being born in human likeness, he humbled himself, and became obedient to the point of death – even death on a cross.’ (Philippians 2.6-8)

 

Thus Jesus sets the example of greatness as being someone who serves others. ‘Let each of you look not to your own interests, but to the interests of others’ (Philippians 2.4). Christian societies have been influenced by this teaching, as is reflected in the phrase, ‘public service’. It is now time to challenge our politicians and bring them back to the high ideal of being servants of the people. We do not want politicians who lord it over us and are lining their own pockets and protecting the interests of a rich and powerful elite.

 

The Holy Week and Easter message centres round the death and resurrection of Jesus and this is highly relevant to political life and indeed to all life. We need the death of old selfish politics and the renewal of our political and social life. Change is coming at this election as more MPs are standing down than for a long time. We need the new MPs to take on the agenda of the people. We need them to be our servants.

 

The renewal of our national life, of course, involves all of us, but we often take our lead from those who are in positions of leadership. If we see that our politicians are seeking to serve the people and to help the poor, then this will renew the whole of our national life.

We are too dominated by selfishness and greed and ‘I couldn’t give a damn’ attitude.

 

At this time of Easter and of the Election we need to put to death the selfishness that we find in ourselves and we need the resurrection refreshment of living our lives looking to the needs of others. 

 

It may sound simple, but our national life will be miraculously renewed if we follow Jesus’ new commandment to love one another and to look after each other. Looking after No.1 was never going to bring us anything but grief and trouble. A revolution of love brings renewal and hope both personally and politically.

 

Happy resurrection!!

 

Norwich