'Certainty', or 'change'? A reflection on the election - and what follows

How do we balance our natural fatigue at the repetition of these election buzzwords with the responsibility for Christians to engage in society and discern wisely?

Here are a few ideas, writes Chris Goswami, alongside some post-election thoughts 

Certainty versus change was my lasting impression after the latest TV debate between Rishi Sunak and Keir Starmer. A staged debate that was highly entertaining, but predictably inconclusive. Sunak pitched hard on the certainty of sticking with him versus (as he says) surrendering to the unknowns of Labour. Starmer, for his part, wanted to drive home that 14 years of Conservative certainty hasn’t helped us; it’s time for change.

Of course, other parties have also been pitching hard, including the Liberal Democrats, Greens, SNP and Reform, but (as often happens) overall, many people are left wondering, “who do I disbelieve the least?”. The main two parties appear to offer a very unclear “certainty” versus a “change” to we-don’t-know-what.

How do we balance our natural fatigue with the responsibility for Christians to engage in society and discern wisely? Here are a few ideas.

Who should I vote for?

For those as yet undecided Christians, you might try the interactive quiz from the Christian organisation CARE. It took me 10 minutes after which it told me “you are 66% aligned with Party X”!

“Great!” I thought, “that’s who I’ll vote for”. However, reading on, it also told me I am 63% aligned with Party Y, and 61% aligned with Party Z.

OK that suddenly seemed uncertain, but the point is, it made me think through the issues I care about. That’s a healthy thing to do. Sometimes, the process of reflecting on what we value is more important than the end result. (And you might get a more definitive end result than me as well).

But assuming you can work out who gets your vote, we should remind ourselves of a few truths whoever ends up in Downing Street on Friday.
 

Despite all the promises, most things won’t change, and that’s OK

For one thing, all our major parties have clearly shifted toward the centre ground, and there are fewer differences than perhaps we are accustomed to. But, beyond that, in business, politics, church and even life, we often over-estimate the impact that a change will bring.

Ecclesiastes 1:9 reminds us, “What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun.”.

This is not a suggestion to give up, it’s reassurance. We are fortunate to live in a stable democracy that as a rule doesn’t experience dramatic and sudden shifts. Likewise, we are fortunate to have a vote in an election process that is not corrupt. And, in any case, as Christians, our foundations lie in the constancy of God, not the transient nature of politics.

Related to this …

Whoever we vote for, we will, at some point, feel let down

All our politicians make absurd promises when they come under pressure.

It’s not they are inherently bad – I believe most politicians are in public service for good reasons – it’s more that our media, especially in recent years, strongly encourages adversarial debate and combative dialogue. Inevitably that puts huge pressure on public figures to make promises they probably can’t keep.

Of course, with a new government, we hope some things will change for the better, but not in the short term. Until then, we can show grace and understanding.
 

We must support our Christian MPs

Faith determines character and character matters more than issues.

Having Christians in the Houses of Parliament who understand a higher calling, is crucial. Their faith, character and (one hopes) their integrity and ethics, can influence positive change, even if we don’t agree with their specific views. In particular, Christians with traditional Biblical views are often viewed as society’s heretics, so seriously consider supporting any Christian candidate.

And, just in case you’re considering opting out and not voting ….

Remember Jesus too was political (but not party-political)

Jesus frequently challenged the authorities, actively stood against injustices, and advocated for a new order. He wasn’t aligned with any political party (neither is God), but He constantly engaged in the social and political issues of His time. He participated in the politics of his day. He didn’t opt out.

Lastly, is it possible to have certainty AND change?

The North African church father, Augustine, once referred to God as “ever ancient and ever new”. Both aspects are true. Both are important.

We rightly focus on the ancient, certainty of God. He is “the same yesterday today and forever” and we cherish that.

But perhaps we underestimate God’s creative desire to be “ever new”, to “do a new thing”.  Yes, God’s unchangeable presence and beauty has always been there, timeless and eternal, but he is constantly refreshing and renewing those who are open to him, equipping us as movers and shakers in society. Ancient, yet new.

John puts it like this,

“I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty.” Rev 1:8.

The “is and was” reminds us of God’s unchanging nature. But the “is to come” part can be a gear shift, even a surprising change of direction. God loves to do a new thing and constantly invites us to participate, maintaining our sense of peace and purpose in Christ but with a fresh and proactive engagement in our world.

Stability and renewal. Ever ancient and ever new. 


Image | Jacob Diehl | Unsplash

Chris Goswami is Associate Minister at Lymm Baptist Church, and a chaplain at Manchester Airport. He blogs regularly at 7minutes.net, where this reflection appeared. It is republished with permission 

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