COVID-19 and Humility: A Call to Prayer
In the wake of the third national lockdown, Christians in Politics' Executive Director Andy Flannagan considers the importance of Christians putting aside tribal differences to come together to pray in humility.
2 CHRONICLES 7
13 “When I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or command locusts to devour the land or send a plague among my people, 14 if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land. 15 Now my eyes will be open and my ears attentive to the prayers offered in this place. 16 I have chosen and consecrated this temple so that my Name may be there forever. My eyes and my heart will always be there.
There is a phrase that has been coursing through my head and heart for the last year or so. I have become increasingly convinced of its importance. It may just be for me, but I thought it was worth sharing just in case it helps anyone else. I am seeing more clearly than ever that we are ‘designed for surrender’. That in our very make-up as humans there is an arrangement that means we are at our healthiest and best when we aren’t holding tightly to the reins of control. Those with substantial resource in a modern world can easily be fooled into thinking that we are the masters of our own destiny, able to protect ourselves from every potential discomfort. 2020 has persuaded many people that this is no longer true. This is an ugly virus and this is an ugly time, but one gift of awareness that it may bring is that we are not in control, and so much of our stress and sickness comes from straining to be so.
So surrender may seem like a long way off for some of us, but perhaps we could at least in the words of 2 Chronicles, “humble ourselves”. Perhaps we could get on one knee, if not two, and drop our heads, even if we cannot yet raise our hands in surrender. With tribalism reaching unprecedented levels on both sides of the Atlantic, the concept of truth under fire, and our nation facing huge challenges, never has it been more important for Christians involved in the world of politics (in any way!) to come together in prayer. The point is not to come to some fuzzy artificial agreement, but by coming together in the presence of the ONE who DOES know everything, we may come to see that perhaps we don’t know everything. In humility, our ears may be rendered just millimetres more open to hear from those with whom we disagree. Perhaps as in the words of Paul that follow, we could ‘make every effort’ to strive for unity in a divided world.
EPHESIANS 4
As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. 2 Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. 3 Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. 4 There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism; 6 one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.
Many of us are familiar with these words, but what we often forget is that they were written from prison. Paul has been learning some pretty serious humility, patience and surrender. He would have every right to complain, but instead he is allowing this trial to grow beautiful things in him, and advocating that we go on that journey too.
Throughout history, moves of God have often been preceded by his people being on their knees in humility. More recently there are many good examples of transformative things occurring in communities and cities when people from different churches have come together to repent of their empire-building and pray together.
This is such a challenging season. Surely it is a season for finding our common humanity, recognising that we are all made in the image of God, and coming together. Our tribal differences may seem petty in the face of a marauding virus. Surely it is also a time to cry out, “Help us Lord” and “How long?”.
So here is an opportunity to do so.
The leaders of the Liberal Democrat Christian Forum, Conservative Christian Fellowship and Christians on the Left have found surprising unity in recent years, agreeing to disagree well and put kingdom before tribe. Based on these core relationships and also those with Christians within the Greens, SNP, Plaid Cymru, Brexit, the Northern Irish parties and independents, they are issuing a call to pray for our nation at this time. We will be on our knees in repentance, offering thanks, lamenting for those in such distress at this time, and interceding for the UK before being re-commissioned as ambassadors into the mission-field of politics.
