Rector's Letter - Rev’d Jeremy Trew - July 2024
Dear All
Apparently, there’s going to be a General Election. If you read this early enough you might like to come along to a hustings being hosted by St Mary’s Church, Saffron Walden at 7.30pm on Monday 1st July. All candidates have been invited.
Voting matters for at least three reasons. (1) Through voting we contribute to an important collective decision, namely who shall exercise the power of government. (2) The act of voting symbolises an elector’s right to participate in the whole political process. (3) The voting decision itself obliges me to pass judgement on the country’s rulers and aspirant rulers.
In reaching that decision there are three major directions in which a Christian might look, to God and his truth as revealed in the Bible, to the world around us, and within our own attitudes and motives. We look to the Scriptures not because they contain any clear political catechism but because the fundamental truths they teach must underlie our approach to politics. They say that government is the major social institution through which God sustains justice in the world. They affirm the breadth and depth of Divine concern for justice. They reveal God as sovereign, at work in this world in all sorts of surprising ways, not only through the Church or even through Christian people.
Our decision as voters must be influenced by what we learn about the world around us. When the Old Testament prophets spoke, they did so on a sharp understanding of the world around them. Having a good general grasp of what is going on enables us to weigh the claims of the political parties, noting what manifestoes omit as well as what they promise.
The Christian voter must also do some self examination. In general the parties appeal to the voter’s sense of personal advantage but Christians must vote unselfishly. How and why we decide is therefore an indicator of the degree to which we are truly followers of Jesus. Voting simply to perceived personal benefit is plain sin. How I decide this time (compared perhaps to last time) shows where I have reached on the pathway of Christian discipleship.
Applying this involves scrutinizing policies and people. Everyone seems to agree that we need a healthier nation, but what does that look like? The differences between parties can seem small and are generally ones of emphasis. Whatever choice you make, make it an informed and reflective choice. And make a choice.
Yours,
Jeremy
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