Each week on my radio show and podcast, A Mucky Business, I try to unpack the world of politics to encourage Christians to engage knowledgably and prayerfully with current issues. We talk about why Christians should care and how we can be agents for change in this mucky business.
I'm always careful to emphasise that you don't need to put on a rosette and stand for Parliament to make a difference. But at the same time there are many MPs who have done just that, and now sit in the House of Commons for all the main parties. So today I want to ask, just what use is a Christian MP?
Well, I believe that God cares deeply about the way we do politics. We must always remember that politics cannot save us, but we also know that God's kingdom is physical as well as spiritual.
Jesus healed people, fed them and cared for their daily needs as well as calling them to follow him. God hungers for justice, and has given authority to human rulers to enact it on earth on his behalf. He calls us to love our neighbour, care for the weak and vulnerable, and build for his kingdom as he prepares ultimately to renew all things.
So my main aim as a Christian MP is to be the best advocate I can possibly be for my constituents in the beautiful lakes and dales of Westmorland and Lonsdale. I speak out every week in Parliament on issues that affect my constituents, and I have a committed and tenacious casework team who work relentlessly to help people and make a difference to their lives.
This encompasses everything from finding accommodation for a family about to become homeless, to campaigning for a radiotherapy centre in Kendal that will enable cancer patients to receive treatment close to home. To love the people and the place where you live, is to enact the familiar instruction from Jeremiah to 'seek the welfare of the city you are in.' So I seek to glorify God through being an excellent constituency MP.
Having been my party's leader for a couple of years, I also have the privilege of being relatively well-known. This of course carries with it a responsibility, and I try to act graciously and be a good witness to Christ, aware that my social media comments are easily picked up by news outlets looking for a juicy story ... But it also means I can use my profile to encourage a better understanding of faith in the public square, and to share the Gospel with those who will listen.
Through my organisation, Faith in Public, I aim to demonstrate the importance of freedom of conscience and religious liberty in the public square, and the positive role that faith can play in tackling issues such as poverty, homelessness and refugees. I also want to inspire Christians to engage effectively in politics – hence my podcast and my book, also called A Mucky Business.
There is often suspicion from those with no faith that Christians will try to impose our views or morality on others, but I don't think we try to do this more than anyone else. Everyone in politics brings their own worldview and values to every debate, and it is important that we challenge the assumption that a non-religious outlook is somehow neutral and objective.
Throughout the year I try to visit local churches to talk about life as an MP and my calling as a Christian in politics. These talks are usually to mixed audiences of Christians and non-Christians, and I value the opportunity to gently crowbar in the Gospel message. I cannot promise to be able to visit every one, but if you are interested and would like me to come and speak at your church, please give me a shout!
There is a real temptation for Christians in politics that we just blend in comfortably, align ourselves with the culture and lose our saltiness in the process. There is also a risk that we fall into self-pity when we receive opposition because of our faith, as well as a temptation to believe that our role as MPs gives our lives ultimate meaning.
My status does not give me my identity, but my position as a child of God does. And with this comes the knowledge that the God of the Universe created all of us in his image, full of worth and dignity, and that he loves each one of us enough to die for us. Why would I want to keep this amazing news to myself?
Tim Farron has been the Member of Parliament for Westmorland and Lonsdale since 2005 and served as the Leader of the Liberal Democrat Party from 2015 to 2017. Tim is also the host of Premier's 'A Mucky Business' podcast, which unpacks the murky world of politics and encourages believers around the UK to engage prayerfully. He is the author of A Mucky Business: Why Christians should get involved in politics."
