Rooted in love…An alternative response to the election results
I will not claim to be an expert in politics. In fact, I would say that I often dislike politics on many levels. And yesterday in the UK was a great example as to why.
As the day progressed, my news feeds on social media began to fill up with angry and sometimes even hateful comments towards the election result. For any non-Brits who didn’t follow the election – the results came in and the UK is now under the control of a Tory (conservative) government which was a real shocker against the pre-election polls which had predicted a tight vote and possibly another hung parliament.
But what I saw yesterday was people using social media as not only a platform to air their views but many people used social media to hurt, slander, criticise and even scaremonger.
Let’s remember…
36.6% of the population should be happy with the outcome (if they’re not, then they need to re-think why they voted this way).
As for everyone else, there are many people within the remaining 63.4% who are saddened, hurt, worried and even frightened at the policies the conservative government plan to implement over the course of the next 5 years. People who are already living below the bread line and already struggling to make ends meet may face even more benefit cuts and a harder life ahead of them. Other people who are hard-working in jobs such as teachers, NHS staff and care workers who don’t know yet how the funding for their roles, and the resources they so need, will be affected. The families of the disabled and those with special needs who are supported by benefits and funding that are necessary for their quality of life (a basic human right) – and they are worried too.
And the scaremongering in the news and online doesn’t help!
Yes – it is clear from the results that the UK’s voting system lacks a degree of representative proportionality to the number of votes to the number of seats gained – the Green Party’s 1 million votes = 1 seat in the house of commons was a clear example of this. (On the other hand let’s remember that this time round it also stopped UKIP’s 3.8 million votes from gaining more than one seat too…you can’t have it all it seems…) While it is clear that reform of the UK’s voting system is needed, this remains a story for another blog post…on another day.
Yesterday, many people took to social media it seems. Some just relaying their views on the situation. But I read some disturbingly hateful and hurtful comments written by friends and strangers towards each other yesterday – based on the fact that they disagreed. To all of those people…feel free to continue if you think that written text in an online forum or on social media is the best way to air your views and have a healthy discussion about how we can move forward…but as a Christian, these are the responses I feel I should try to take:
1. We must love each other – in a real way. In our words and in our actions.
In this case – if someone doesn’t agree with you, that’s ok. Love them anyway. You dont’ have to agree with them.
“Don’t just pretend to love others. Really love them. Hate what is wrong. Hold tightly to what is good. Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other.” – Romans 12:9-102
2. If you can’t say something nice…
“Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them.” – Ephesians 4:29
3. We should pray for our leaders…
Like it or not, the UK has a conservative government now and we should pray for wisdom and discernment in their working.
“I urge you, first of all, to pray for all people. Ask God to help them; intercede on their behalf, and give thanks for them. Pray this way for kings and all who are in authority so that we can live peaceful and quiet lives marked by godliness and dignity. This is good and pleases God our Savior, who wants everyone to be saved and to understand the truth.” – 1 Timothy 2: 1-4
As Christians, we have a responsibility to respond in a moral, biblical and compassionate way towards others. God is using us everyday to fulfill His greater purpose. Let Him use you in the way He wants…
“For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.” – Ephesians 2:10
And our role… is not to let ourselves get in the way of His greater plan…
“For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.” – Jeremiah 29: 11
Written by Anita on 9th May 2015 in General
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